


Starscream's Sparkling

by VicenteValtieri



Series: Starscream's Sparklings [2]
Category: The Transformers (IDW Generation One), Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers Animated (2007), Transformers Generation One, Transformers: Prime
Genre: Abandonment, Excitement, Fugitive, Kidnapping, M/M, Mechpreg, Mind Control, OC's - Freeform, but then sscreamer came back, kinda sad kinda glad, lockdown's an afthole, remote death, sparkling, sparkling endangerment
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-03
Updated: 2017-01-11
Packaged: 2018-09-14 12:52:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 103
Words: 40,087
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9182596
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VicenteValtieri/pseuds/VicenteValtieri
Summary: Starscream bears a Sparkling and immediately abandons everything he has ever known to take care of his son.





	1. Desiree

Starscream had been planning his Sparkling’s birth for months now. Through dangerous combat, close shaves with Megatron, and lean times for energon, he had been caring for his child.

Now, he had only to give birth and then give him up, let the Autobots take him. Get on with his life.

Of course, that required a midwife who would not run tattling to either side.

Desiree, a discrete midwife of high reputation on the human internet, looked up at the Seeker. “You want ME to deliver your Sparkling?”

“Yes. I have no other choice.”

“Why not one of your own medics?”

“It’s complicated. Please, I need aid.”

Desiree gave him a measuring look. “Fine. But you do everything I say, all right?”

“Yes.”

“Thanks. Get in a squat position. Don’t push until I tell you.” She went about gathering supplies and checked in on Starscream occasionally.

“I’m fine. Primus! No, not fine, but it’s coming along.”

“Keep it up.” Desiree spread a blanket out and brought over a large mirror so she could show the Seeker what was going on. “Kneel so I can get a look.”

Starscream complied, hoping she knew what she was doing.

Desiree frowned. “This is your equivalent of a foot, isn’t it?” She questioned the straining Seeker.

Starscream stared downwards as she angled the mirror. “Yes, it is. That’s a pede. Is that a bad thing?”

“It’s very bad. I need you to stop pushing immediately. Your Sparkling has been crossed and can’t come out like this. Get on servos and knees and keep your aft raised.” Desiree crossed her arms. “Are you ready to call for an actual Transformer expert now?”

“No!” Starscream snarled. “Can’t we do something on our own?”

Desiree frowned. “Unless you want me to climb up in there and push him into place somehow, baby isn’t coming out without a serious fight.”

Starscream glared at her.

“You’re not seriously thinking…”

“Can you do it?”

“Maybe?” She shrugged helplessly. “It would hurt, a lot, and I could be crushed in there.”

Starscream raised an optic ridge at her.

“Right. I’m going to be crushed if I don’t try anyway, aren’t I? Let me get the emergency oxygen supply, then.” Desiree resentfully walked back into her house and came out carrying a large oxygen tank and multiple hoses as well as what appeared to be a scuba regulator. “Try and push the sparkling back upwards if you can get a good angle. Make my job easier.” She began chop-shopping the hoses together with the regulator. 

Starscream reached beneath himself with one servo and attempted to press the little one back upwards. “How will we communicate while you are… inside?”

“You’re the super robot. You figure it out. Otherwise, just try not to move, especially don’t push no matter what happens. If I’m not out in an hour, get into the squat position you were in earlier and push for your sparkling’s dear life.” She put on the regulator and tested it. “And let’s hope my tube isn’t cut while I’m going in. That would just be too embarrassing.”

Starscream nodded and she picked up the tank. “I’m gonna put this on your hip seam. Try not to buck it off. I don’t know how much hose I’m going to need.” Then, after securing the tank, the climbed down the seam and to the valve where the tiny pede was protruding. When she began pushing it back in, it kicked feebly. The little guy was still with them at least. Pushing harder, she began moving up and into possibly the most disgustingly exciting experience of her life.

Starscream winced and groaned as the Sparkling moved. It took Desiree nearly the appointed hour, but he finally felt a wrenching of his guts and the wiggling movements of the human coming back out.

Desiree struggled free and got up on top of Starscream, covered in birth fluids. She lay on her back on the Seeker for several moments. “Take a break. You need to conserve your strength for the next part. Baby’s in position, but needs time to get back to where he was progress-wise.”

Starscream carefully lay down. Desiree climbed down off of him and patted his leg. “I’m going to take a shower and get something to eat. What can I do for you?”

“I have a few stored cubes of energon.”

“Good. I’ll be back.” Desiree stiffly walked back into her house. It was fully dark by the time she came back and she set up several electric lamps in silence. “That was an experience. I hope I never have to repeat it.”

“I wasn’t enjoying myself either.” Starscream softly told her.

“Understandable. You are here to give birth and subsequently abandon your baby. I can’t imagine you’re having fun.”

Starscream took a sobbing intake. “I don’t have a choice.”

“I get that you think that, but I’m here to tell you that you do. I don’t know what it is. I don’t know your situation. But there is a choice and you should take it. Everyone knows babies do best with their parents.”

“His other parent doesn’t even know he exists.” Starscream sobbed again. 

“You should probably tell him.”

“He won’t like it. He doesn’t want me. He won’t want him.” 

“He just has to live with it.” Desiree stated. “It’s your baby.”

“Stop tormenting me, you stupid organic. How dare you meddle in what you could never understand!” Starscream pounded the ground with one fist.

“Hey!” Desiree snapped. “Might want to get it into your thick skull that I deliver babies people don’t want others to know about all the time. I understand despair and the perception of “no choice!””

Starscream sniffled. “In this case, there really is no choice.”

“Well, I can’t be the judge of that. I don’t know enough about you.”

“Thank you for admitting your ignorance human.”

“Shut up.” Desiree continued working. “If you’re rested enough to snark, you can get back into the squat or kneeling position and start some gentle pushes with the contractions.”

Starscream nodded. He was beginning to feel the burn in his valve again that had heralded the pede.

Desiree dragged out another old blanket to catch the baby. The first was soaked with lubricants. Then, she began fetching hot water nearly directly from the heater.

Starscream continued to push. “I think he’s almost ready…”

“Give me a moment.” She put in a final bucket. “All right, let’s see… Yep, looks good. Bear down on the next contraction and keep it up. Let’s see this little mechling.”

Starscream nodded and gritted his teeth to keep from screaming.

Desiree offered encouragement where she could and did her best to get ready for the Sparkling. It wasn’t great, but they should make do.

Starscream finally gave a great cry, bore down, and the little one slid out.

Starscream caught the tiny Sparkling and severed the Energon cord. Wrapping him partially in the blanket, he rubbed his back until his vents cleared and the Sparkling gave a tiny cry.

“Congrats. It’s a robot.” Desiree joked, pushing over the hot water in the tub. “Come on, bath him and let him eat.”

Starscream dipped the blanket into the water and began cleaning the sparkling. The little one had blue and red plating like his Creator, but was without the characteristic facemask and he had tiny wings unfurling from his shoulders. White wings with a red stripe.

Starscream felt his optics watering. He wrapped the Sparkling in the clean quilt that Desiree grumblingly brought out and raised him to his cockpit, placing him inside and allowing him to find a feeding line.

“Well? Gonna name him?” Desiree questioned.

“No. Leave that to his Creator.” Starscream whispered, though he had already named the Sparkling in his spark.

“Well. That’s cold. I mean seriously cold. Sheesh.” Desiree had no compunction about speaking her thoughts. “I mean: If you’re going to give him nothing else in life, you should at least give him a name.”

Starscream wept softly. “You are a cruel, awful human.”

“Maybe.”

“Missio Orion.” Starscream murmured. “His name.”

“I’ll tell the father when he shows up then, shall I?” 

Starscream nodded. “You can make the call now. I’m almost done.”

“No you’re not. Help me clean all this up.” Desiree gestured broadly.

Starscream gave her a tired glance and reached to help her, deciding arguing wasn’t worth the effort.

An hour later, Orion released the fuel line and Starscream slowly removed him from his cockpit. With care, he and Desiree moved the Sparkling into Desiree’s living room. For a long moment, the Seeker stared in at the recharging Sparkling. Then, he stood and flew into the night without another word.

Desiree sighed as she watched him leave and went inside. At last, she called in the Autobot hotline and reported an abandoned sparkling. 

She was immediately connected to Optimus Prime himself who asked for details. She leaned sarcastically against a countertop. “Details: I have a newborn Transformer without its parents here. Get up here and get him.”

“Thank you, Desiree, what are your coordinates? We will be there within the hour.”

Desiree gave him her location and hung up. Going back into the living room, she took up her camera and took a picture of the sleeping Sparkling for her wall. Then, she sat down beside it to wait.

A few moments later, there was a thump at her back door. Going to it, she opened it up to find a distraught Seeker standing there. “Is he still here?”

“Chill. He’s here. Do you want him back?”

“Yes. It won’t be easy, in fact, it’s near-suicidal, but I want him.” Starscream begged the small human.

“Come and get him then, I’ll help you get him out.” She walked back into the house and opened her sliding door.

Starscream cupped Orion close to his chassis and kissed his helm. “I’m sorry I left you.”

He offered the human her quilt back, but she waved it off. “Keep it. I get the feeling you might need it later. Go on, get out of here before you’re found.”

Starscream nodded and placed Orion in his cockpit, transforming. “Good bye, Desiree. Thank you for everything.”

“Thank me by raising that kid well. Get on with you.”

Starscream blasted off as the autobots arrived on the other side of the house. Desiree heard the doorbell ringing. “I’m coming!” She shouted, walking around the house and constructing a story. “Hey, you missed it. Your buddy just dropped by and picked him up.”

“Buddy?” The one they had sent was a police car. He launched himself into the robot form they all had. “What buddy?”

“The jet guy. Came and picked up the Sparkling. Pleased as punch to have found it. Nice guy.” She thumbed over her shoulder. 

“Jet guy!?” The police car shouted. “What colors?”

“Red and white. Relax.” Desiree leaned away from him. 

“RED AND WHITE? WHAT COLOR WERE HIS SERVOS!?”

“Sky blue.”

“STARSCREAM! YOU GAVE THE SPARKLING TO STARSCREAM!?”

“Was that his name? Nice guy.”

“Get in the car. I have to take you to central.” Jazz transformed.

“Cool.” Desiree got in the shotgun side and buckled in as Jazz sped towards the groundbridge.

Mentally, Desiree sent a blessing to Starscream and little Missio Orion.

 

Starscream hadn’t used a spacebridge before, but he picked a planet with a reputation for being a good place for a mech on the run to disappear and went. Whatever came, he would have Orion beside him.


	2. Captain Firecracker

Ten vorns later, he was still running. He had changed his paint several times and taken on several names, but no matter what, it seemed that there were always Autobots or Decepticons on his trail and both sides had put bounties on his head.

Just when it seemed he and Orion could settle down, they had someone unpleasant come knocking.

It especially hurt when Optimus Prime himself went on the ECHO to state that he was an incredibly dangerous mech who should be apprehended on sight.

That was painful.

Starscream kept all his shanix in solid form, not trusting a bank in case they had to run quickly. He had bought a small, sleek starship with as many names as he had at this point, and ran cargoes between planets. Moving constantly seemed the only way to stay a step ahead. Though he had plenty of chances, he didn’t turn pirate unless he absolutely needed to. 

Orion called to him from the main room. “Carrier! The Energon is ready!”

Starscream pushed back from the controls. “I’ll be right there, Orion.” He had run his usual battery of scans to ensure they weren’t being followed or tracked and they seemed clear.

Orion carried over a cube to Starscream as soon as he came in. The Sparkling was growing up to be just as caring as his Creator, with a streak of Starscream’s loose morality and quirky sense of humor. Added to that, he had a strong rebellious streak that led to a lot of friction between them.

Starscream accepted the cube and swung Orion up in one arm, kissing his helm. “Thank you, my sweet star.”

Orion pushed him away. “Eww, Carrier, gross.” But his struggles were feeble and short-lived.

During their recharge cycle, their little ship jerked as if it had been snatched. Starscream jerked to awareness and Orion sat up on his smaller recharge berth.

Starscream shushed him and listened. There was a grinding sound and their ship was moving. “Orion, do you remember what to do?”

“Get to crate 3-A and hide there until you come get me.” Orion whispered back.

“Good. Go at once.” Starscream stood up and went towards the access ramp.

It was as he suspected: Pirates. A brown mech with a tank alt-form was coming up the ramp.

Starscream struck a slightly sensual pose, blocking his way. “You know, it’s rude to come into someone’s home uninvited.”

The pirate, who clearly thought of himself as a gentle-mech, touched his forehelm. “Apologies. I am Demolisher, Captain of the Fireball and who might you be?”

“My name is Firecracker.” The alias matched his current red and gold paintjob. “Captain and sole crewmember of the Dawnslicer.”

“All alone, are you?” Demolisher smiled his easy-going smile.

“All alone. And I can see that I’m out-numbered.” Starscream smiled back.

“A good host would offer some energon and let us parley a bit. I am inclined to be generous today.” Demolisher suggested.

“I would not be opposed. Shall we?” Starscream took Demolisher into the rec room, very glad that he and Orion had cleaned up the Sparkling’s toys.

He could hear other pirates going through his cargo and stealing most of it, of course. His eyes suddenly flashed as he saw a mech carrying crate 3-A past. Oh, they were all slagged if they messed with Orion.

He and Demolisher bandied about words and high grade and Starscream mentally reviewed the bounties on certain pirate captains. Demolisher had a nice sum attached to his name. Enough to make it worth turning him in. How kind of these mechs to dock his ship in their bay and make his work easier.

Finally, Demolisher leaned too close to Starscream and suggested that they go somewhere nicer. 

Starscream was delighted to agree.

A quick slice of an energon blade across a throat later and Starscream was silently running down the corridors, nailing pirates with his null rays as he went. Not for the first or last time, he was grateful he had had his systems upgraded for stealth and power to his null rays.

When he reached the cargo bay, he found a treasure trove, but before he so much as considered opening a single crate, he tore the bay apart looking for crate 3-A.

Orion tumbled out, all wrapped in his baby quilt. “Carrier!” He stood up and hugged Starscream fiercely. 

“Sweetspark!” Starscream hugged him back. Most Seekers were very claustrophobic when it came to small spaces, but again Orion’s grounder Creator shone through. His beautiful little boy was a triple changer and spared the downsides of both of his parents. “Are you hurt?”

“No.” Orion finally wiggled away. “I stayed hidden.”

“Good. Come on, once you’re back on our ship, I’ll get our cargo back.” Starscream picked up a small crate filled with stasis cuffs from the label and made sure to cuff any pirates they saw on their way to the small ship.

When Orion was secure, he rounded up the pirates, dragging them into the cargo bay. Putting his servos on his hips, he glared at them all. “Who is your First Mate?”

A mech grunted from near the end of the line. “I am.”

“You’re captain now. Now listen to me: I don’t want any trouble. I have a Sparkling that I’d like to spare the realities of the world, so you’re going to tell me what I want to know and then I’m going to uncuff one of you before I leave this blasted ship.”

The First Mate nodded. “More than fair.”

“Glad we can see eye to eye. I’m going to need a crate large enough to be a coffin for your captain, my own cargo back, and some bonuses from yours to compensate for my time and inconvenience.”

The First Mate glanced at their cargo. “Go ahead. All the crates have a locking code: 678850.”

“Much obliged.” Starscream kept a careful optic on the cuffed pirates as he hunted out the rest of his cargo and several small crates of valuables and even one of Sparkling toys. Selecting a double-wide crate, he emptied it of the textiles inside and lifted it to the Captain’s quarters. Demolisher was a tight fit even in the crate, but Starscream broke a few of his joints and managed.

Then, he chose the smallest mech among the pirates. Dragging him back to where the ship was, he unlocked the cuffs just before climbing up into the ship and flying out of the hangar. Orion was waiting in the cockpit wrapped in his quilt. “Are we going?”

“Yes, sweetspark. We’re going to make a detour to Belisma to drop some things off and then straight on to Penumara.” Starscream bent over and kissed Orion’s helm.

“Carrier!” Orion sighed, squirming, his bi-colored eyes shuttering in discomfort.

Starscream had spent hours staring into Orion’s optics when he was a Sparkling and still suckling a fuel line. They were rimmed in scarlet like his own, but centered in sapphire, like his creator. The colors spilled into each other in the middle and blended into violet. 

Finally, Starscream left off his Sparkling and sighed, piloting the ship. Orion was the equivalent of a four year old human. He wondered vaguely what would have become of them if he had given up the Sparkling and dismissed it. A life wandering together was infinitely better than living apart.

Orion soon fell asleep in the copilot’s seat and Starscream gently reached out, scooping him up in one arm and cradling him on his lap.

They lived a difficult life, but it was theirs.


	3. Megatron's Sparking

Five vorns later Starscream was obsessing over a datapad of figures, trying to make the numbers balance. He was sporting a light blue and silver paintjob and calling himself “Snowsinger.”

In frustration, he hit the desk beside the datapad. No matter what he did, they came up red by the end of the decacycle.

It had been a lean time recently, but never desperate thanks to the shanix from Demolisher’s bounty. Now he was too close to scraping the bottom of the barrel and there was no sign of his usual cargo work in this port.

He put his faceplates in servo and shook his head, trying to clear it. On top of everything, Orion needed school books. He was getting too old not to begin schooling and every option Starscream could find was expensive. 

He had promised Orion the new books by the end of the decacycle, before he had done the accounts.

There was no choice. Starscream had to leave the anonymity and relative safety of the spaceport and find work in the town. Work that would not require a close examination of his credentials.

“Fortunately,” he thought tiredly, “I have quite a bit of experience in that department.”

He stood up and went to find Orion. His sparkling was writing the alphabet on a scrap of paper and kicking his pedes in the air. “Hey, Sweetspark.” He picked the now six-year old up and rested him on his hip. “I need to go out. Remember, stay in the ship and don’t eat any energon-goodies before you’ve had your dinner.”

Orion nodded, wiggling. “I’ll be fine, Carrier.”

“That’s my brave Sparkling.” Starscream put him back down. “I’ll be back after your bedtime. Be in recharge by the time I get back.”

“Okay.” Orion gave him a completely innocent look. The troublesome Sparkling would probably be up until just before Starscream opened the entry ramp.

Starscream kissed his helm. “I love you, Sweetspark.”

“I love you, Carrier.” Orion lay back down and continued his alphabet.

Starscream slid out and into the underworld. Scoping out several clubs, he finally found one that seemed to cater to what he was experienced in.

He went to the back door and asked for the manager.

The manager, a shuttle, looked Starscream over. “It’s been a while since I’ve had a Seeker on my main stage. How long are you in town?”

“Not sure.” Starscream had dropped his erudite leanings and picked up an accent from the gutters of Cybertron. “Let’s start with a decacycle at a time and I’ll let you know when I do.”

“Shake on it.” The manager offered a servo.

Starscream nodded, shaking. This was Decepticon territory, the edges at least, and Seekers weren’t all that rare an appearance. He was contracted for a solid hour an evening on the stage and to spend the rest of the time dodging between tables with a tray of drinks in one servo. 

He bit his glossa and held in his humiliation as he bargained for his salary, finally settling for a fair fee.

And, joy of joys, he could start that evening.

Dodging groping servos, he made his way through the club with his tray.

Finally, it was his turn on stage. Starscream hoped he remembered how to keep his sanity while humiliating and exposing himself.

He took the pole and allowed his panel to fall open.

It was humiliating, sliding up and down on the steel and gyrating. He remembered why he had been so desperate to escape this life before in a flash, but kept “dancing” and even picked up the pace. After warming up on the pole, he allowed himself to drape on the stage and teased the audience by touching his interface.

In the back, he spotted a familiar hulking figure: Barricade. If he was here, then so was Megatron. Suddenly, Starscream regretted agreeing to work for a whole decacycle. Leaving before and without a cargo would draw attention he didn’t need. He could only hope they wouldn’t recognize him.

Over the decacycle, he began to draw more and more Decepticon attention. Only the promise of enough credits, in tips and otherwise, to pay for Orion’s books and to tide them over to the next port and cargo kept him coming back.

On the last night of the decacycle, Starscream nearly purged his waste tank when he spotted Megatron among the patrons. Not just Megatron, either, but half of Decepticon command. Only the hard-core regulars were there out of their normal crowd.

Starscream and the rest of the dancers were trembling as they went about their business, taking orders and turns onstage.

Finally, Megatron made a move. He stood up and grabbed Starscream by the shoulder as he was walking past. “What is your name, Seeker?”

“Snowsinger.” Starscream fought to keep his voice even.

“Snowsinger. I wish you to accompany me. I will make it worth your while.”

He was slagged. He was so slagged. Starscream bit his lip and nodded, trying to keep it together, calculating how long he could be gone before Orion would come looking. Formulating an escape plan, he allowed himself to be dragged off to the Cybertronian version of a hotel. A very nice hotel at that.

Starscream hadn’t seen luxury in a long time. He couldn’t be blamed for enjoying the deep carpet under his pedes. By now, of course, it had become obvious that Megatron was just looking for a good interface instead of an execution for a treacherous second.

Megatron’s suite was one of the largest and most luxurious in the hotel. 

“Come. Make yourself comfortable.”

Starscream stood awkwardly in the middle of the room, shifting his weight from pede to pede. “My lord, I’m afraid there’s been some misunderstanding… I am a dancer.”

Megatron sat down in a chair. “Then dance.”

Starscream trembled and looked for an escape, but the silver tyrant was beckoning him forwards and onto his lap.

Starscream had experience with lapdances, but found them even more humiliating than sexual shows from onstage.

Still, the only way he could get in and out quickly would be to give Megatron what he wanted and get out of there.

Which was how he found himself in the berth, spark to spark with the most feared and hated mech in the galaxy.

“But… My Lord, we can’t do this… what if…?” Starscream put his servos on Megatron’s shoulders, squeezing and trying to push him away.

“If you get sparked, contact me. I will not abandon my off spring.” Megatron pinned him on his wings.

Megatron was thoroughly enjoying the Seeker. By then, Starscream was certain he hadn’t been discovered and that Megatron was just an over-charged bastard.

When the silver gun-former finally finished and pulled out, Starscream rolled over and got up.

Megatron gently called to him. “You may stay the night if you wish.”

Starscream took the envelope containing the shanix he had been promised early in the night and subspaced it. “I must go. I have a Sparkling to attend to.”

“Very well.” Megatron watched him. “Bear what I have said in mind.”

Starscream shook his helm and left as quickly as possible, feeling dirty. As soon as the Starcutter was at lightspeed, he ran to the washracks and scrubbed until he had nearly taken a layer of paint off. Over-analyzing the tyrant’s actions just sent his processors into loops. He shut down still feeling filthy and not wanting to look at his peacefully sleeping Sparkling. Up until now, he had only been touched by one mech. 

Taking out the envelope, he stared at it. Then, he tossed it across the room and turned over, sobbing into the berth.

In the morning, Orion went to his Carrier’s side. “Carrier? I brought energon.” He poked his Carrier in the side. “Are you okay? You never recharge in.”

“It’s been a long decacycle.” Starscream accepted the cube. “Thank you, Orion.”

Orion picked up the envelope and stared at the shanix spilling out. “Carrier…?”

“Put it on the dresser, Orion.” Starscream buried his face back in the berth. “When we reach our next port, I’ll get your texts.”

Orion put a hand on his Carrier’s wing. “Carrier?”

“I’ll be up in a bit, Orion.” Starscream assured him.

Orion nodded. “Yes, Carrier.”


	4. Purple and White

The next morning, Starscream rose from the berth and went into the washracks. Locking the door firmly, he went to the mirror and ordered his chest plates to open. The golden cockpit split down the middle, revealing the near-white spark within.

He squinted against the glare, staring critically.

Then, a much tinier glow of purple light flashed into view. Starscream’s optics brightened with shock and he reached towards his spark with one servo. The sparklet flashed into view again and then hovered. It sent a tiny zap of electricity into its Carrier’s fingertip and flashed out of sight, quick as a mouse.

His spark soared as he closed the plating. He was going to have two Sparklings! Two! So many weren’t and wouldn’t be fortunate enough to have one, but he, Starscream, was going to have two!

His next reaction was spark-clenching worry. Two Sparklings meant he would need to double their budget for energon, alloy supplements, toys, and various other items. More than that, it meant double the doctor’s visits to make sure they were protected from viruses, double the dangers pirates presented, half as much work he would be able to do, and double the mischief he would have to worry about.

He rubbed his chestplates, attempting to self-soothe as panic crept up on him. He would have a sparkling from each of the two leaders on each side of this dreadful war. What would happen if one of them found out? Megatron would go out of his way to capture him and then use him as a breeder under the guise of being “mates.” Optimus would certainly try to get him back. Either way, his innocent, naïve, stupid, caring Sparklings were going to be folded back into the war he was trying so desperately to escape from.

He felt fluid beginning to trickle from his optics. Oh, yes, and his emotions were going to start running wild. He had forgotten.

Orion knocked on the door. “Carrier?”

“Yes, Orion?” Starscream cleaned his faceplates and stopped the coolant.

“I need to use the refresher!” He called.

Starscream nodded. “I’m coming out, Orion.” He opened the door and let his sparkling careen past him to the waste receptacle. His ELDER sparkling, he realized with a burst of affection for both of his little ones.

With that in mind, he went into the kitchen and began concentrating energon, mixing it with pectin, and whipping the whole thing into a sort of dacquoise.

He had placed the “cake” into the heater and was making a jelly-like icing when Orion came into the kitchen looking for breakfast. “What are you making, Carrier?”

“Energon dacquoise, Sweetspark.”

“Why? It’s not my spark day or yours.” Orion glanced over at the calendar. Normally, Starscream was very sparing when it came to energon goodies and a whole cake was out of the question unless it was a spark day.

Starscream balanced on a stool and pulled his elder sparkling close. “You’re going to have a sibling, Orion. I’m carrying.”

“I’m gonna have a sibling?!” Orion’s mind was clearly blown. “Is it a brother?! I don’t want a sister!”

“I don’t know yet, brat, and I think a nice, quiet little femme would be a welcome addition!” Starscream scooped him up and kissed his helm.

Though knowing Megatron, he would end up with a mech who would soon be trying to rule the roost and control Starscream’s life even more than Orion already did. With that in mind, he already knew what to name a mech: Regulus. For a femme, he would give her the name Bellatrix. 

With that said, Starscream instantly began to make plans. He counted the shanix from Megatron carefully: Two hundred thousand. The old rustbucket had been generous for such an anonymous interface.

Though an interface with the leader of the Decepticons was never going to be anonymous, not for Megatron.

Starscream stood and patted his chassis. This called for another visit to Desiree at the end of a few months. There was no one else he would trust with the birth.

Orion spent a great deal of time asking questions about the expected Sparkling and followed Starscream carefully when the Seeker dove into an open market attempting to find necessary supplies. They picked through carefully and even found a real Sparkling crib from Cybertron. Starscream polished and sealed it, lining it with human fabrics, and made it new.

“Did I have a crib?” Orion questioned.

Starscream thought of those first three vorns: Homeless, desperate, panicking. Always barely a ped-step ahead of his pursuers. “No, Orion. You slept with me.” And he had. Starscream had never been safe enough to dare remove his Sparkling from his cockpit for something so vulnerable as recharge. There had been times when he didn’t recharge at all, but sat awake in the dark of a ship’s bowels or in a dingy apartment he would abandon in a few days. A Seeker on the run with a newspark under his wings.

And a million credit bounty, roughly five million Shanix, on his head.

A bounty that both his once-leader and once-lover leveled on him.

He gritted his dentas at the memory.

“Why not?”

“There wasn’t space for it.” Starscream explained. 

“Oh. We didn’t have the Starcutter then, did we?”

“No, we didn’t.” Starscream finished his work on the crib and pulled his Elder sparkling close to his warm plating. Orion only squirmed a little bit.

It seemed whenever he went to recharge, Starscream could feel Megatron’s battle-worn servos on his flanks. In an attempt to drive off the bad memories, he took to exercising before bed. Gently, of course, didn’t want to hurt the sparkling. It still didn’t completely exorcise the bad memories, but it helped.


	5. Past is Prologue

Starscream lay near off-lining on the battle field. As usual, the plan had been a complete flop. Worse than a flop, really. A disaster of epic proportions. 

They had lost half of the Seekers, including Thundercracker, and a good portion of their ground troops as well.

And, of course, there was the minor detail that the second in command and air commander was dangerously close to offlining. 

Starscream was agonizingly attempting to patch himself up with an aid kit he always carried in his subspace. It wasn’t working.

A broad-shouldered shadow fell across him and he turned to snarl with his sharp dentas, claiming bravado.

Optimus Prime knelt at a safe distance. “Starscream.”

“Prime.” Starscream casually continued to apply pressure to a main energon line.

“Are you injured badly?”

“No.” Starscream flatly responded.

“Very well. Are you too stubborn to accept aid when you clearly will off-line without it?”

Starscream pressed his lipplates together. When he put it like that, it sounded absolutely glitched to refuse help. “Well, you’re just such an amazing orator and diplomat that I have to allow you your way with me.” His sarcasm was cutting.

Prime smiled softly. “I wouldn’t dare.” He unpacked a first aid kit and began patching the open wounds.

“Why?” Starscream questioned when he was done. “What do you want?”

Prime stood up and surveyed the battle field. “Enough energon has been shed today.”

Starscream gripped a rock formation and pulled himself to his pedes. “You can say that again.” He miserably looked at the remains of his air force.

They stood there for a long time, too weary to move. Finally, Starscream looked up into the sky where a familiar black and purple jet was flying towards them. 

“You should go.” Prime told him.

“That’s it?” Starscream questioned. “You don’t want anything from me?”

“No. Not unless you’re offering.”

Starscream was taken aback. “Well, I’m not.” And he transformed painfully, shooting off to join his remaining trine mate in the sky.


	6. Musings of a Sire Part 1

Optimus Prime stood at a viewport overlooking the space station. For decades now, humanity had welcomed Cybertronian and other alien ships alike. Many parts of the world had declared themselves as way-stations. Using their nack for mechanics and medicine, humans aided survivors of the war and other conflicts.

Like many human inventions, it had all started with a single human: A mid-wife named Desiree.

She had opened her doors, figuratively, while the war was still raging to care for Decepticons and NAILS alike who found themselves with Sparkling and nowhere else to go. With some help from a Seeker NAIL, she turned it into a sort of orphanage and foster home.

One, small location had become three, large clinics in America and Europe.

It was an inspiration to see humans working with Transformers. Finding a new direction for their boundless energy. Even more inspiring to see them working so selflessly. 

Desiree was pacing on the table in front of him, reading off a list of the clinics’ accomplishments over the previous vorn. The woman, while much older than she had been when the clinic began, was no less formidable. “…and abandonments were cut down by fifty percent from last year, though there’s still no sign of bonded couples. In all, it’s promising.”

“Thank you, Desiree.” Optimus looked up.

“Hang on. That’s not all.” She continued flipping on her clipboard. “We have what appears to be a special-needs sparkling and we’d like to build a new wing to take care of him and any others. To that end, we’re going to have a gala at Natasha Clinic and we’d like some of the members of Autobot command to attend for publicity…” Her communicator chirped. 

Optimus looked awkwardly as she pulled out the small, clandestine communicator. It was the hotline birthing carriers used when they wanted to anonymously give up their sparklings. “I’ll certainly be there. Why don’t I just give you some privacy?” He stood up and left the conference room quickly.

Desiree put the communicator to her ear. “This is a midwife named Desiree.”

A familiar, slightly screechy voice answered. “Are you alone?”

“Star! Yes, I’m alone. Why are you calling this hotline?” Desiree flipped all of the papers on her clipboard back to look at the picture of her first Cybertronian birth.

“Why do you think? I need a safe place to give birth.”

“Another one? Are we going to have to go through the whole, I need to leave him behind for his own good rigamarole again?”

“No, but it’s of the utmost importance that no one see me or Orion.”

“I see. The coordinates of my small clinic are the same as my house was.”

“Thank you.”

Desiree cut the communication and scrambled her past frequencies. That done, she trotted down the stairs from the table and out into the hall. “Thanks Optimus. See you next quarter!” She called up to the Autobot leader.

Optimus looked down at the human woman. “I look forwards to it. Send me the specifics of the gala.”

“I will!” She disappeared around a corner.

Optimus looked down at his chronometer. He still had half of the hour budgeted for Desiree to himself.

He made his way to his office and sat behind his desk, picking up a holo image of the original ARK base. With a tap on the corner, it became an image of Starscream, sitting on a rock structure: Arms folded, legs crossed, and expression haughty.

The small, slim Seeker had been his regular lover-he had believed they were IN love-for nearly a vorn while the war raged on earth.

Then, without so much as a note, Starscream had stopped coming to their meetings and started avoiding the fighting in battle. He had wanted to chase the infuriating Seeker down and demand an explanation when the Seeker had simply disappeared. 

After reports stating that he had kidnapped an abandoned Sparkling left with the very same midwife he had just been speaking to, of all things, he had been gone.

Optimus couldn’t help but theorize: Starscream had been unfaithful to him and unable to simply own up to it. Starscream had been, Primus forbid, forced into somemech’s berth and impregnated as a result, ashamed he had run. Starscream had conceived his child and simply didn’t want him in the Sparkling’s life.

The last one was the most painful of the three options he had managed to put together in his processor. 

With a tender finger, he traced Starscream’s wings. He missed the Seeker.

He’d matched the Decepticon bounty on the Seeker’s head in an attempt to keep Megatron from getting him first. He wanted him back, but Starscream was slippery and they had lost all traces of him after the second in command had been forced to take refuge on a plague world. 

Whether he and the Sparkling had come through it alive was a matter for more speculation, but no one had found a frame matching his, so Optimus held onto hope.

In the end, hope was all he had left sometimes.


	7. Musings of a Sire Part 2

Megatron sat alone in his dark throne room, musing on Starscream.

The infuriating Seeker was an interesting case. While he was not so clever as he thought he was, he wasn’t that far off. Keeping ahead of him wasn’t always difficult, but occasionally he did something that really surprised Megatron.

Such as running off out of nowhere, apparently with a Sparkling in tow.

Of course, Megatron had known his second was with Sparkling. It was difficult to hide a baby bump and his optics were sharp, picking up the extra plating that Starscream wore constantly to hide it.

He hadn’t mentioned a word to his second, waiting. The way Starscream was fluttering about in fear and practically shaking with nervous tension told him enough. The Sparkling’s Creator was an Autobot and Starscream feared that it would be obvious when it was born. 

It had put Megatron into a bind.

Starscream, for all his hissy fits and treacherous nature, had his uses. He was scientifically brilliant and the best Seeker in Megatron’s army.

Also the head of a short list of potential carriers for Megatron’s own heir.

Naturally, he couldn’t continue with that plan if Starscream had betrayed him and the Decepticons with an Autobot. When he had believed the Seeker intended to give up the child, he had accepted it as punishment enough to be separated from his Sparkling.

Now, fifteen years later, he had had to think up a different means to invite Starscream back without appearing weak.

Barricade had suspected that “Snowsinger” was actually Starscream and Hook had confirmed it with a discreet spark signature scan. Megatron had then approached the “dancer” and demanded a night with him and a spark-to-spark interface.

Starscream turning up with HIS Sparkling in tank would do nicely indeed. He would be very magnanimous, of course, forgiving the traitor and welcoming him back to the ranks and to his old position, with incredible benefits, of course, and all the privileges and luxuries that Megatron could afford. He’d be allowed to raise their Sparkling and Megatron would even forgive and accept the Autobot Sparkling. 

It would be so simple if Starscream had any processor power at all!


	8. Desiree's Ranch

Desiree’s clinic was in the middle of a large ranch spanning a good piece of the Sandia Mountain foothills. She had outlined the ranch in white, twenty-foot high fencing and the United States’s government had permitted her, with Optimus’s agreement, to turn it into neutral territory. Everyone was welcome so long as they were peaceful while on the ranch and no direct surveillance was permitted.

Which wasn’t to say a certain Autobot spymaster didn’t try occassionaly and succeed in getting a peek at new arrivals.

Desiree was waiting with her two most trusted NAIL midwives when Starscream’s ship touched down. She rushed up the entry to give them some last-minute instructions. “Hey, Star!”

Starscream looked down and then knelt. “Desiree.”

“How far along are you?”

“I think I have a week left.” He set a hand on his chassis. “I noticed you had us set down a bit of a distance from the buildings.”

“I have a truck and trailer outside, but I need you to be careful and cover your face. My NAILS will help you get in the truck, but we have company. The Autobot Spy: Jazz. He’s watching over the fence.” She growled. “I just can’t seem to stop that jerk.”

Starscream nodded. “All right. You hear that, Orion? Cover your face with one servo and hold mine with the other.”

Orion nodded. “Yes, Carrier.”

“Orion!” Desiree smiled. “The last time I saw you, you were only half my height!” 

Orion blinked down at her. “Hello.”

“Come on, let’s get you two into the trailer. We have energon treats and all sorts of things for carrying mechs.” Desiree called down the ramp. “Metalhawk! Scoop! Come on!” She ran out and got behind the wheel of her massive pick-up truck with the trailer attached.

Metalhawk and Scoop guided Starscream down and into the trailer. Scoop picked up Orion to put him in as well and Orion dropped his hand from his faceplates to look at his surroundings. 

As a result, Jazz had a nasty shock and took several pictures in a hurry. Then, he rolled out and down the mountains towards a ground bridge location.

As soon as Starscream and Orion were safe in the trailer, Scoop and Metalhawk transformed and Desiree began driving.


	9. Revalations

“Optimus! Optimus!” Jazz ran into the command room. “Look at these!” He dumped a holoprojector on his desk and opened it up. “Look!”

“Jazz, Jazz!” Optimus snapped. “Slow down!”

Jazz vented hard. “I’ve run all the way. Look at these pictures!”

Optimus opened the first picture. It showed a blue and silver Seeker’s back. His wings were marked with two snowflakes. From the comparison to Scoop and Metalhawk, he was shorter and slimmer than normal. “Okay. A Seeker.”

“Look at the sparkling with him!” Jazz pressed the button taking Optimus to the next picture. This one was taken with Orion over Scoop’s shoulder. 

Optimus half-rose with a gasp. He was looking at a mirror-image of himself as a young Sparkling. Bending over, he examined the child in more detail, taking in the trim chassis and the white and red wings. But he had his colors: His plating and helm.

Jazz was still freaking out. “It’s Starscream, Optimus! The Seeker is Starscream!”

“What?” Optimus asked, absently, picking up the projector. “I’m going to copy over these pictures, Jazz.”

“Starscream! That seekerlet looks exactly like Starscream! Primus only knows what that mech has been up to in all the time he’s had! We have to capture him. He’s carrying, he’s a sitting duck. We’re never going to have a better chance!”

“No!” Optimus waved a hand in dismissal at once. “Jazz, Desiree’s ranch is under a flag of truce. If we break it, we’ll unleash a firestorm from the humans.”

“Frag the humans! This is STARSCREAM!”

“And if you can prove that he intends harm during his stay with Desiree, you may scoop him up immediately. But if all he’s here to do is give birth and then leave, we have no power or jurisdiction!”

“Right. I’ll set up a blockade and ambush him-“

“No, Jazz. I don’t imagine Desiree would be happy if we did that either.”

“Frag Desiree! This is STARSCREAM! He’s a Decepticon!”

“Even if it IS Starscream, he hasn’t been an active Decepticon in fifteen years! Are you truly willing to destroy all the trust that Desiree has worked to build with her discrete clients over an inactive Decepticon?”

“It’s STARSCREAM! Every time he disappears for a bit, he comes back with something huge to earn Megatron’s favor again! Did you forget the Stunticons?”

“No, I haven’t forgotten the Stunticons. I still don’t think it’s advisable to lead a raid on Neutral Territory to capture a Seeker who hasn’t been an active Decepticon in fifteen vorns!”

Jazz gave an enraged shriek and dug the heels of his servos into his optics. Then, he stomped out.

Optimus collapsed backwards into his chair and pulled up the holoimages again. Reaching forwards, he took out his image of Starscream and began comparing them. The angle and size of the Seeker’s wings were right. The cant of his stride seemed right. Even the elegantly turned ankle on his pede was right. It was Starscream. Optimus would know him anywhere.

Which meant that the little Sparkling was certainly his.

Optimus flicked back to that picture and studied the child. Where Jazz had only seen Starscream in the wings and faceplates, Optimus could see them both. He touched the image’s tiny wheels. Their baby was a triple-changer: He could see the signs. 

He came to a decision and stood up, walking with purpose towards the Groundbridge.


	10. Safe at Last

In the center of the ranch was a compound with six buildings arranged in a circle around a sandpit and playground with equipment big enough for Transformer Sparklings. Starscream smiled when he saw it. “Orion, come here.”

Orion had been staring at the mountains through the back window, but came when his carrier called and lifted him up to look through the other windows at the playground. As the truck came to a stop, another NAIL came out of one of the buildings leading a pair of Femme two-wheelers. The Sparklings ran ahead of their caretaker and climbed up the ladder on the slide at once.

Desiree walked around to the back and opened the truck. “Come on out, you two.”

Starscream stood up, still holding Orion’s servo. Orion looked at the Femmes at their play with longing and Starscream chuckled softly. “Go ahead.”

Orion looked up at Starscream and nodded. “Okay.” He dropped his Carrier’s hand and ran off towards the playground.

“He’s grown so much.” Desiree smiled softly. “I remember every one of my deliveries. Without yours, none of this would have happened.”

“You’ve done well for yourself.” Starscream commented, watching his Sparkling playing with the two femmes.

“I have. It hasn’t been easy, but we’ve built a sanctuary here. Optimus Prime helped me get permissions personally to make this neutral ground.”

“In a war, it’s too easy to forget the next generation.” Starscream agreed. 

“Indeed. Come on, Star. Moonshine will watch your Sparkling while you get settled. This is where you’ll be staying: High-Risk ward, and no, it’s not referring to your affiliations, whatever they may be.” Desiree explained as she led into the large, almost barn-like building. Inside, it was sterile white and pastel blue. “This is where we house expecting mothers in danger of needing a cesarean or of having a crossed infant. Since you have a history of transverse birth, you’ll be here, but I would have put you here anyway.”

“Why?” Starscream questioned as they walked past a series of anonymous doors without windows in them.

“Because this is where I work, of course.” Desiree smiled softly. “Come on. This will be your room.” She tapped a panel with a single button, opening it. “They lock from the inside. There’s a medical override, of course, but it won’t be used unless we think you’re having an emergency.”

Starscream stepped in, taking in the berth and entertainment suite. “What about Orion?”

“We’ll move a small berth in with you. Normally, we’d want to put him in the dormitory, but I get the feeling you want him close.”

“Yes, thank you.” Starscream sat down on the berth. 

“You’ll want to rest, of course. Tomorrow, I’ll get Metalhawk to come help me give you a scan and make sure everything is going to be okay for baby’s arrival. Just hit that red button if you need anything and there’s an energon dispenser beside the bed.” Desiree turned and walked out with a bounce in her step, putting a comm to her ear.

Starscream laid back on the berth and carefully relaxed into it. Shuttering his optics, he went into a light recharge.


	11. Visitation Rights

“No.” Desiree planted herself in front of the closed gate to the compound.

“Then will you ask him to come out and speak to me?”

“No.” She folded her arms.

“May I go in and ask him to speak to me?”

“No!”

“Can you at least tell him I’m here?”

“Look, Optimus, I’d love to help you, but my first responsibility is to my patients and their children. If one of the mechs here, and I’m not saying anything definitely, mind you, is Starscream, he’s here to give birth and likely at a delicate stage. He needs relaxation, not worry, and I’m afraid the leader of the Autobots wouldn’t help him give birth in safety and comfort.”

“What about the Sparkling, can I at least see him?”

Desiree gave him a sour frown. “You are putting me in a very difficult situation here already. Don’t you dare try to guilt-trip me into letting you see Orion.”

“Orion?” Optimus bent closer. “Is that his name? Oh, Primus, is that my son’s name?”

“UGH!” Desiree ground the heels of her hands into her eyes. “You forget I said that name right now!”

“I can’t Desiree! Just a few minutes, I won’t even speak to him. I just want to see him.” Optimus pleaded.

“AAAARRRRGHHH!” Desiree screamed, rubbing her eyes harder. “FINE! He should still be playing. Come on. But not so much as a word!”

The gates creaked open and Optimus transformed into a truck. Desiree climbed into the cab and they began driving towards the compound.

Orion was playing alone now. The femmes had been taken back to their Carrier. He was sitting in a swing, trying to get it to move. 

Desiree slid out of Optimus and he transformed, watching Orion.

“There. Now don’t say I never did you any favors!” Desiree barked up at him.

“I won’t, Desiree.” Optimus’s eyes were glued to the Sparkling and he sat down heavily.

Desiree’s comm beeped. “Desiree. What? NOW? All right…” She closed the comm and pointed a stern finger at Optimus. “You STAY RIGHT HERE!”

Optimus nodded, still watching Orion and she stormed off to tend an emergency.

Orion eventually jumped off the swing and glared at it. “Stupid swing! It’s broken.”

Ah, there Starscream’s influence shone through. Optimus smiled softly and stood up. “It’s not broken, you just need to keep trying.”

Orion flared his wings with suspicion. “Who are you?”

“I am Orion Pax.”

Orion giggled. “That’s my name!”

Optimus’s spark lurched. “Is it indeed? That’s lovely. Well, Orion, I can help you learn how to swing if you would like.”

“Really? Please!” Orion clapped his hands.

“All right. Now, your problem is that the swing twists when you lean forwards. All you have to do…” Optimus spent a heavenly three hours pushing Orion on the swing and watching him learning to pump by himself. When the seekerlet grew tired of the swing, he pushed out of it at the top of his arc and activated his thrusters, flying in circles above the playground.

Optimus watched him play until Desiree returned. “I told you to stay put!” She hissed at Optimus.

“Sorry, Desiree. I couldn’t help it.” Optimus sighed, watching his son doing back-loops.

“Yeah, yeah. Say good-bye and get out of here. It’s time for Orion to have some energon.” Desiree gave him a push towards the gate.

Optimus nodded. “Orion!” The sparkling stopped his aerobatics and hovered, staring down at Optimus. “Bye!”

Orion waved from his roost in the clouds and then continued in his play.

“Come on, Optimus.” Desiree pushed at his pedes again. “You’ve had more than I could promise. Now get before I get in trouble. Go!”

Optimus gave her a baleful look. “I need to talk to Starscream.”

Desiree pinched the bridge of her nose. “I will speak to him on your behalf. AFTER, the Sparkling is born. Now go!”

Optimus nodded, gave his son a final look, and transformed, driving off.

Desiree sighed and shook her head. “Thick-helmed mechs, the both of them.”


	12. A Safe Place for Us

Starscream woke slightly when Orion scrambled up onto the big berth beside him, sucking on a cube of energon. Metalhawk placed a second cube within Starscream’s reach while he and Scoop maneuvered a cot into the room and placed it up against the wall.

Starscream sipped the energon. “Thank you, Metalhawk. Scoop.”

Scoop approached the berth. “You’re welcome. Are you comfortable? Do you need anything before we go? More blankets?”

“Does it get very chilly here?”

“It does at night.” Metalhawk answered. “We are in the high desert.”

“Then another blanket would be lovely. Thank you.”

Scoop went to fetch it while Metalhawk remained, making up Orion’s berth. 

Starscream watched him with heavy optic shutters. “Have you worked with Desiree long?”

“Indeed. Ten years now, if I remember correctly. She just had one clinic then and this one. She was always very devoted to her work and now she’s looking to expand further.” Metalhawk stepped back from the bed and then snapped his servos. Digging into his subspace, he pulled out a Sparkling-sized teddy bear. “There we are.”

“Expand how?” Starscream asked while Orion hugged the teddy bear and curled up in the berth, getting ready to sleep.

“She’s looking to buy a freighter and turn it into a mobile clinic to go to the refugee camps and offer aid more directly.”

“That sounds amazing.” Starscream lay back. “What’s stopping her?”

“Well, a freighter is easy to find. Mechs willing to actually man and work it who have the skill aren’t. We have a few midwives in training, but they are still very young and we’re growing.” Metalhawk’s expression became one of bliss. “After millennia, we’re finally seeing a jump in our populations.”

Starscream nodded. “It sounds amazing.”

“Yes, it is.” Metalhawk beamed. “I’ll leave you to rest. In the morning, there’s a battery of scans and tests we’d like to do to make sure all’s well with your Sparkling before he or she is expected. Rest well.”

“Thank you, Metalhawk.” Starscream stretched out a servo and gently stroked Orion’s helm. The sparkling was slowly falling asleep, clutching the teddy. “Metalhawk?”

“Yes?”

“What does it take to become a midwife here?”

“There is a training course. We don’t normally train here, but Desiree seems inclined to make exceptions in your case. You might ask her.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

The other Seeker left the room and Starscream slowly fell asleep, imagining the compound as a permanent home for himself and Orion.


	13. New Day

In the morning, Starscream was woken by Orion shuffling about. He cracked his optics and peered at his Sparkling. “Orion?”

“Carrier!” Orion rushed over and gripped Starscream’s berth. “Can I go out to the playground?”

“What time is it, Orion?”

“It’s 1000 hours, Carrier! Can I? Can I go play?”

“Did you read your chapter?” Carrier questioned. 

“Yes!”

“And do a lesson?”

“Yes!” Orion brought over the datapad containing his texts and showed Starscream his progress report.

“Then you may. Remember, you have to be quiet in the halls.” Starscream cautioned the Sparkling.

“Yes, Carrier.” Orion rushed to the door and ran as quietly as he could out of their white building and to the playground.

Starscream checked his work with eyes that wanted to drift shut every moment. Carrying took a lot out of him. His bright little Sparkling might need more difficult coursework soon. 

Patting his chassis, he sat up and went to the energon dispenser, making himself a pair of cubes and drinking them in a few gulps.

With fuel in his tanks, he felt a bit better and got up. Going to the washracks in the hall, he made himself presentable and settled in to wait for Metalhawk and Desiree.

Desiree bounced in. “I noticed that Orion was on the playground and took that to mean you were up. Let’s get you to the examination room and get this list taken care of, okay?” 

Starscream stood up. “Yes. I hope you won’t mind if I pass out while you’re doing them.”

“I don’t and I’ll keep Metalhawk from trying to badger your audials off.” Desiree led the way down the corridor, reading through a list. “He’s nice, but he gets carried away when he’s excited.”

“Everyone here seems to live in a state of constant excitement.”

“We deliver babies, Starscream. Of course we’re excited.” Desiree smiled. “Sometimes, I wonder if my heart can take so much excitement.”

“I see. Do you have many miscarriages?”

“We used to.” Desiree admitted. “You Transformers have a million different ways a Sparkling can go wrong during birth. If it weren’t for the risk associated with surgery, I would recommend every one of you to a cesarean section. Still, we’ve learned ways to deal with the problems and our success rate is up to ninety-five percent survival. A great improvement, I assure you.”

“I see.” Starscream cupped his chassis.

“But don’t let it worry you. There’s almost always signs beforehand and something we can do that brings the risk factors down farther and farther. Our only real trouble is when a mech appears out of nowhere already in the labor process. You’re here early, no one’s rushed, and everything is going to be fine.”

Starscream nodded, soothed to a point. “I wondered what it would take to become a midwife here.”

“We have a training course specific to our program. It takes several years to complete, but it’s not difficult. Would you like to join our corps?”

“I would. I would be allowed to stay, correct?”

“You might have to stay strictly inside the compound and the airspace above it, but you’d be allowed to stay, along with your Sparklings. We’d put you two up inside a dormitory and take care of you.”

“And we would be safe?”

“Believe me: The Autobots will have to drag you out over my dead body.”

“That’s not as comforting as you intend.”

Desiree chuckled. “I’ll get the paperwork to you soon.”


	14. Tragedy

Starscream lay on the berth while Metalhawk warmed up the MRI scanner. Desiree stood on a platform specially designed for her next to the screen with her clipboard out.

Metalhawk moved the scanner over Starscream’s chassis. Images began to flash on the screen, resolving into shapes.

Desiree began jotting notes. “Well, well, well… Surprise: We seem to have triplets here!”

“Triplets!?” Starscream sat up to get a better look at the screen and the image dissolved.

Desiree chuckled. “Lay back and I’ll show you.”

She pointed out how two helms appeared in the upper part of the screen and then how a pair of winglets were furling in the wrong direction in the left lower part. 

“In a moment we’ll be able to read their spark beats.” Metalhawk told Starscream, pressing buttons on the machine.

The soothing sound of sparkbeats filled the room and Starscream relaxed, listening as Desiree and Metalhawk continued their work.

Desiree’s tapping pen interrupted the calm mood.

Starscream unshuttered an optic. “Is something wrong?”

Desiree was mouthing a counter beat to her pen. “Ba-ba-ba-ba…” The pen tapped. Tat-tat-tat-tat…

“Metalhawk, why don’t you get out an internal probe.” She turned to Starscream. “If you would be so kind as to open your valve cover, I’d like to take a closer look at these three.”

Starscream obliged hesitantly. “Is something wrong?”

“Hard to say.” She hedged as Metalhawk hooked up the probe.

Metalhawk gently inserted the probe and Desiree began pushing buttons. The image of the triplets became more detailed and sharper. Then, three lines appeared at the bottom of the screen and began jumping. Spark beats.

Desiree frowned, pressed more buttons, and frowned again.

Starscream demanded. “What’s wrong?”

Desiree tapped her pen against the screen. “This spark beat is yours. See how it’s slower than the other two? These two are from the little ones. We’re just having a problem locating the third.”

“A problem locating a spark beat?” Starscream’s voice rose shrilly.

“Calm down.” She patted his servo. “Calm down.”

“HOW CAN I CALM DOWN? THE THIRD DOESN’T HAVE A SPARK BEAT! HE’S DEAD! DEAD! DEAD, DEAD, DEAD, DEAD…. Dead.” Starscream collapsed fully back onto the berth. “Dead…”

“Shhhh…” Desiree patted the servo again. “Shhhh… The other two are fine. It’s going to be okay… It happens. It’s not your fault.”

Starscream felt trails of coolant start leaking down his faceplates.

“What happened?” He sobbed. “He’s as large as the others. Why did he die?”

Desiree shrugged helplessly. “When a sparklet splits into three on the way to the gestation chamber, it seems that one of the siblings is much weaker than the others. This one… this one does not often survive. I’m sorry.” She deflated. “I’m sorry.”

Starscream wailed. 

Metalhawk and Desiree silently continued their evaluations while he grieved. 

“Good news.” Desiree murmured when they had finished. “The other two are perfectly healthy and it looks like they’ll be coming into the world in two days.”

Starscream nodded. “Thank you. May I go back to my bedroom now?”

“Of course. Metalhawk?” 

Metalhawk nodded and helped Starscream up. He escorted Starscream back to his anonymous room and brought a box of energon goodies, placing them beside the bed.

Starscream ignored them until his near-nauseous tanks complained otherwise.

When Orion returned that evening, he took him in his arms and cuddled him close and wouldn’t tell him why coolant still stained his faceplates.


	15. Jazz and the New Midwife

Desiree arranged for a set of official forms to be logged within forty-eight hours of the incident, making her central clinic aware that there was a new midwife in training entering their program.

The file was labeled “Secret” but you know how much secret matters to some people.

Or Jazz knew anyway and called up Desiree immediately. 

Desiree answered the comm with a terse. “Desiree.”

“Desiree. Come to Autobot headquarters at once. We need to discuss this new midwife.”

“Someone talked.” Desiree snarled. “And No.”

“No?”

“No! No! N-O. I have a high-risk Seeker ready to pop out twins in less than twenty-four hours. To complicate matters, he has trust issues. I am not leaving.”

“This is a matter that really cannot-“ 

There was a wail of harmonics in the background and she called. “Get the supports to the room and then leave. He’s made it clear what he wants. Sorry, Jazz. Talk to you later. Duty calls.”

The comm went dead. Jazz nearly broke it in half.


	16. Miracle

Desiree kept a careful monitor on Starscream as he worked his way through the first contractions. “Sparklings look good so far. One is in the correct position and two are transverse. The two will probably be pulled over when the first is born.”

“Which one is the… the dead one?” Starscream questioned.

 

“Can’t be sure yet. I think the second. Might be the third.” Desiree hedged. In reality, she thought the first was going to come up double-down nine.

She just couldn’t tell Starscream that.

“Starscream, I still think Metalhawk is more qualified and should be here or at least on call.” She reminded Starscream of what she had said earlier.

“Metalhawk is a Cybertronian, but you KNOW! Me.” Starscream groaned around another contraction.

“True enough. I must admit it appeals to my vanity that you insist on me, but if I have to go swimming inside you again, I am going to be very annoyed.”

“I’ll take the risk.” Starscream chuckled, groaning.

“All right. I want you to start a circular motion with your hips to relieve the contractions and keep you from pushing.”

“You want me to wiggle my aft?”

“Just do it, Star. Don’t see why you’re complaining: I’ve seen worse afts in a Victoria’s Secret catalogue.”

Starscream chuckled and groaned halfway through, circling his hips.

Desiree guided him through the birth of the first Sparkling. As she had expected, he was the stillborn one.

Still, Starscream cleaned him up and rubbed his back, trying to incite life through pure will.

“It’s a futile task, Starscream.” Desiree sighed after five minutes of rubbing. “There’s no spark beat. There’s nothing to ig-“

Suddenly, the mech in Starscream’s servos sneezed and began crying.

“What in Primus’s name?” Desiree leaned close, her mouth open wide. Checking her monitor, she found that the two spark beats were still there. This was supposed to be the stillbirth. “Okay. Okay, my mind is officially blown. We need to get him to the emergency ward at Athena Clinic at once. It’s his only chance!” 

Starscream staggered to his pedes. “How?”

“METALHAWK!” Desiree shrieked, running out into the hall. “GET THE ASTROCHOPPER TUNED UP! SCOOP! FETCH AN INCUBATOR AND INFANT LIFE SUPPORT! EMERGENCY!”

Starscream was hurried onto the chopper along with Metalhawk and Desiree. Metalhawk dived for the controls and got the chopper in the air while Desiree was hooking up the life support.

Starscream cradled his Sparkling while Desiree monitored his spark. “It’s weaker than the other two… A lot quieter than the others and erratic. By Cybertron! I’ve only seen this once before and it wasn’t as weak as this!”

“Did the other Sparkling pull through?” Starscream questioned.

“Yes! He stabilized after a few hours on a spark supporter!”

“That’s good! That’s… Oh!” Starscream groaned again, pushing.

“Holy Slag!” Desiree cursed. “HURRY METALHAWK! SECOND ONE’S COMING!”


	17. Epic Chase Scene Coming

The second and third Sparklings were born while the chopper was still in flight. Fitting for seekerlets. Within minutes of their landing, Starscream was sitting in a wheelchair, staring into a sealed room where his Sparkling was lying in a Spark Supporter.

The other two were held securely in his cockpit, drinking in their first fuel. The Sparkling in the Spark Support was a triple changer. The second was a pure Seeker. The third was a pure tank mech. Starscream slipped his fingers into the tight cockpit and stroked treads and tiny wings. He estimated that all three of them would only be able to fit for a month before they would be too large. Perhaps sooner if one or two of them had inherited Megatron’s size.

Desiree stood on the sill of the viewing window, watching. “Everything looks good. A few more hours and he should be fine for good.”

Starscream smiled softly. “Thank you, Desiree.”

A new voice interrupted them. “Carrier!” Orion came running down the hall with Metalhawk on his heels.

“Sweetspark!” Starscream bent and scooped his oldest Sparkling into his lap, hugging him close.

Orion hugged back. “I was so worried!”

“Well, everything is going to be fine, Orion. We’re all safe now.” He pointed into the support room. “Look. There’s one of your brothers now.”

“I have brothers?!” Orion exclaimed, staring into the room. “Why is he in there on that thingy?”

“He wasn’t doing so well right when he was born, but he’s going to be fine now.” Starscream explained, Spark still singing with relief and joy that his little trine was complete after all.

“What’s his name?” Orion questioned.

“Rigel.” Starscream answered without hesitation. Opening his cockpit, he stroked the little tank. “This is Regulus… and Bellatrix.” The seekerling released the fuel line to peep at her Carrier. Starscream chittered back and Orion joined in, the Seeker speech becoming almost melodic. He was still surprised that one was a Femme, but as Desiree said, she had been wrong about Rigel as well.

“A sister?” Orion pushed forwards in curiosity. “They’re tiny.”

“They are, but they’re healthy.” Starscream smiled and closed the cockpit slowly. And that was all that mattered.

Desiree was still there supervising when Rigel was placed in Starscream’s arms and Starscream placed him in his cockpit with the other two. 

“When they’ve rested a bit, I wondered if you might let me take a picture, Starscream.” Desiree carried three blankets, two blue and one pink, into the hospital room.

“Of course.” Starscream smiled. “You won’t post it?”

“No. I don’t post any of my anonymous birth photos unless the parent leaves the Sparkling behind. I get the feeling you’re not gonna.”

“No.” Starscream smiled down into his cockpit. “They’re far too precious.”

“I agree with you there.” She set the blankets on the edge of the berth. “Here. For when they come out. Policy.”

Starscream unfolded them and found that each was thick and warm, made of soft fleece and patterned with earth roses. “Thank you, Desiree.”

“Heh. Don’t thank me yet. We still have to get you all back onto the compound. Hopefully before Jazz makes an attempt to intercept and arrest you.”

“What are we doing here then?” Starscream sat bolt upright. “We have to get back immediately.”

“Hang on, Starscream. There’s a problem. The Chopper is down. Almost as soon as we landed, it suffered a malfunction. We’re waiting for it to be repaired.”

Starscream’s wings flared. “That sounds like Mirage. We have to leave at once!”

Desiree gave him a hard look and reached for her comm. “Metalhawk, we need to get out of here at once. Give me options.”

“There’s a truck… It’s not well padded or safe, but it moves.”

“That will have to do. Get something soft into it. Our patient needs to get back to the compound as fast as possible.”

“All right.”

She turned her comm off. “That’s the deuce. Come on, Starscream.”

Starscream gathered up the belongings Orion had brought with him: His school datapad and new teddy bear. Tucking them and the blankets into his subspace, he took Orion’s hand and Desiree led them out to the bay.

Not far from them, a spy was watching closely.


	18. Autobot Plot

When Jazz had heard that the Astrochopper was transporting a high-risk Seeker to Athena Clinic in the Rockies, he had felt like Christmas came early. Here was their chance.

Rushing to Prowl’s office, he dropped the intelligence on his desk. “We have to move quickly.”

“Get Sunstreaker and Sideswipe up.” Prowl commanded, standing. “We move at once.”

Jazz went to roust out the Lamborghini twins and Prowl snuck the operation notification onto Optimus’s datapad along with a long report as camouflage. With his margins in place, they should be back at the Autobot base before Optimus had cut through his long report and signed off on it.

The groundbridge warmed up and opened onto Athena Clinic. It was dawn and Athena looked beautiful in the light. Jazz and Prowl burst into the front door while the twins covered the back.

The Femme behind the desk stood up as soon as the two Autobots entered. “Spymaster Jazz. 2IC Prowl. What may I do for you?”

“I need the location of a Seeker who came in last night in an emergency.”

The Femme had orders to cooperate as much as she had to, to preserve the safety of the patients. “The Seeker left an hour ago with Desiree and his Sparklings.”

“What? Where for?”

“The Neutral Compound.” The Femme took a step back.

“In? What vehicle?”

“A supply truck. A purple one.”

“Thank you.” Jazz commed the twins and all four mechs transformed and got out on the road.


	19. Epic Chase Scene

The truck had a head start and Desiree knew all the shortcuts. Still, it would be slow going.

They were in the mountains just north of the compound when the four Autobots caught up to them.

Desiree ignored Jazz’s flashing police lights and the three drag racers behind him. 

In the back, Metalhawk and Starscream felt every bump of the truck over the road and the tires beneath them. Starscream was holding Orion close to his chassis, his null rays powered and ready to fire. Metalhawk had his hand on a sword that he had only used a few times in his life. Both Seekers were tensed for whatever would happen.

Desiree picked up speed and took an exit. Only the lambourghini twins were on their tails now and the compound was in sight. Her communicator was open and she was broadcasting. “We have the twin frontliners: Sunstreaker and Sideswipe. For the moment, we’ve lost Prowl and Jazz.”

Starscream remembered the twins with their arrogance and hatred and jet judo. “The twins hate me.”

“Slag. Does anyone not hate you?” Desiree sighed. “No, that was a low blow. Don’t answer that: Sorry.”

A bump shuddered through the truck and Orion squeaked in fear. “Desiree? What was that?”

“Sorry. The red one is trying to force us off the road. Hang on!” Desiree slapped Sideswipe away from them with the truck.

Starscream and Metalhawk braced themselves and Orion. 

Desiree reached into her coat and pulled out a small, but powerful pistol. Aiming carefully with the rearview mirror, she fired all six rounds into Sideswipe’s front bumper and tire. The tire blew and Sideswipe went flying.

Sunstreaker peeled off to check on his twin.

“We’re clear for now, but there’s no telling-“ She was cut off by a jolt from above. “What was that?”

Starscream listened to the ped-steps carefully as something moved on top of the truck. He exchanged a glance with Metalhawk. Either Jazz or Prowl had tossed themselves on top of the truck and was trying to get in.

Starscream raised both arms towards the ceiling and Metalhawk grabbed Orion securely. Two sets of thrusters began to whine. “We’re getting out of here, Desiree. Sorry about the truck.”

“Make sure you don’t fire, Star. Don’t fire on the Autobots.”

“WHAT?”

“Just trust me!” She insisted.

Starscream nodded and blasted the roof open. He and Metalhawk streaked up into the sky and out of reach in less than a second. Orion squeaked as Metalhawk held him tight and Starscream powered down his null rays.

Grazed by the blast, Jazz yelled something incomprehensible after them as they shot towards the compound.

“We have to get you to your ship!” Metalhawk shouted over the comms. 

“I thought the compound was safe!”

“It was, but I’ve seen mechs act like this before. Nothing stopped them then. Nothing will stop them now! Come on!” They streaked towards the Starcutter.

Landing outside it, Starscream found his servos shaking as he tried to punch in the access code. Swearing foully in Vosnian, he fat servoed it more than once.

Another sanctuary crumbled around him. There was an impact against wood and Starscream finally got the ramp open. Out of nowhere, Prowl crashed into him, both mechs rolling. The Sparklings inside Starscream’s cockpit were disturbed and began squeaking and chirping in distress.

Metalhawk pushed Orion up and into the ship, pursuing Prowl and Starscream.

There was a second crash and a semi flew out of nowhere from the east. Starscream tossed Prowl off and into its headlights and truck and mech rolled together.

Starscream stared at his rescuer. It was…


	20. Who Did YOU Think It Was?

Desiree picked herself painfully up off of the ground and limped towards Starscream. “Come on, Star. We have to get you out of here. Those other three fraggers are still around.”

“Primus, are you all right?” Starscream picked her up and made for the ship with Metalhawk on his tail.

“No, not really, but it’s not life-threatening. Come on. Need to get you into the upper atmosphere…” Desiree panted through her injuries. She had jumped out of the truck when she sent it careening into Prowl and rolled badly on the caliche. Her arm was dislocated, collarbone at least cracked, and two ribs would definitely need to be looked at as soon as her patients were in the safety of deep space.

Starscream laid her on a pallet made of a pillow and covered her in the baby blankets for the Sparklings while Metalhawk took them up into the atmosphere. Then, he gently pulled out his newborns and inspected them for injuries.

It could have been so much worse. They were barely dented mostly frightened and fussy.

Desiree gave a groan of pain and Starscream looked up. She had wrenched her arm back into the socket. “Hey. Sorry about how this turned out.”

“It’s not your fault.” Starscream sighed deeply and replaced the newsparks in his cockpit. “That was impressive, what you did with the truck. Amazing.”

“Thanks.” Desiree looked around the Starcutter. “They’ll have tags on this ship now and probably on whatever guises you’ve worn while owning it.”

“It’s all right. I’ll contact Swindle. He still owes me a couple favors.”

“Swindle? He’ll cheat you.”

“What else is new?” Starscream looked around at the ship. It was all he and Orion had to call home, everything they had worked for. “I’ll have to start over from square one. They’ll be on my tail almost immediately.” He rocked gently. “I can’t do it again… We barely got away the first time through sheer luck.”

“Hey. What can I do to help?” She asked.

“You’ve done more than enough. You crashed a semi into the Autobot second.” 

Desiree laughed breathily. “I did, didn’t I?” With a groan, she sank back to the pillow.

Metalhawk put his head into the back. “We’re being hailed. What should I do?”

Desiree painfully climbed to her feet and gestured to Metalhawk to be picked up. “Let me talk to them.”


	21. Communication

It was Optimus Prime on the other end of the line. Desiree stared at him with bright, innocent eyes. “Yes, Optimus?”

“Umm… I received reports that you were kidnapped and held aboard the Starcutter from my second, Prowl.” Optimus was clearly confused and up too early.

“Well, I’m not. This all has a rather innocent explanation. You see, my foundation is thinking of purchasing the Starcutter for our mobile clinic. We wanted a test run.”

“A test run?” Optimus looked relieved. “Oh, of course! Prowl must have been over-thinking things.”

“Don’t worry, Optimus. I’ll be back in about forty-eight hours and we’ll talk more when I come into the station.” She gave him a smile and cut the comm, slumping down in Metalhawk’s arms.

Metalhawk looked at her in concern. “Desiree?”

“I have some breaks and cracks right now, Metalhawk, but I’ll live.”

“Did you mean that about buying the Starcutter?” Metalhawk questioned.

“I did. We have the funds ear-marked. I’ll have them transferred to the bank at Tahassi Space Station and Star and I will finalize the deal. Something tells me we’ll be able to come to an accord.” Desiree groaned. “But I’ll leave that to you. For now, I want my pillow.”

“At once, Desiree.” Metalhawk carried her back into the common room. “Did you hear any of that?”

Starscream nodded, fussing over a dent on Orion’s helm. “I think I will be persuaded to part with the Starcutter easily enough.”

Desiree sank into the pillow and let her eyes fall shut. She wasn’t as young as she used to be and her soldier days were far behind her. “Give him enough to get a new ship and some extra to get him out to the rim, Metalhawk. Be generous.”

Metalhawk nodded and he and Starscream discussed the required amount in low voices while Desiree rested.


	22. Good-Bye

Tahassi space station was big and busy enough to lose an army of Starscreams in. One was small beans. Metalhawk took Desiree to an organic emergency facility and picked up the marked funds for purchasing the Starcutter. 

As soon as Starscream had handed over the title and accepted the Shanix in return, he and his Sparklings disappeared into the lower levels of Tahassi and boarded a shuttle.

“Where will you go first?” Desiree had asked after Starscream had given her a picture of his triplets all wrapped up in their blankets.

“To the busiest places we can find.” Starscream responded. “We’ll lose ourselves in the crowds and among the populace.” He was painted red and gold again, but not the patterns he had worn as Firecracker. He was Dawnflyer now.

“Will you be safe?”

“As safe as we can be.” Starscream replied. 

“Then I guess you shouldn’t tell me more. I can’t let slip what I don’t know.”

“I don’t believe you would.” Starscream brushed a servo over her silvering hair. “I don’t think I’ll see you again. Organic lives are so short.”

Desiree chuckled. “I’m okay with that. I think meeting you a third time might about finish me off.”

Starscream smiled as well. “I will remember you for millennia after your passing and to my Sparkling’s future generations.”

“Hopefully yall’s dang-blasted war will be over by then. Good luck, Star.”

“Thank you, Desiree. Good luck to you too.” Starscream took Orion’s servo. “Say good-bye, Orion.”

“Good-bye.” The quiet mech told Desiree and Metalhawk picked her up to carry her to the emergency room on the station.

Metalhawk and Starscream exchanged greetings in polite Seeker and that was the last Desiree would see of the flying mech.


	23. True Story

Optimus stared at Desiree in flummoxed silence. He took in her injuries and the video Metalhawk had made. “My officers invaded neutral territory, against every act concerning it, and attacked you and one of your patients repeatedly?”

“That’s about the long and short of it.” Desiree crossed her arms. “If the media gets a whiff of the real story, we’re going to face a firestorm, you and I.”

“What are you suggesting?”

“First off: That we deny any of this happened. Your officers and my disagreement wasn’t seen by many, if anybody. The fence has already been repaired and your officers suffered minor injuries with the exception of Prowl.”

Prowl had been put out of commission for at least a week. He’d make a full recovery, but he’d never forget.

“He just wasn’t driving like he should and ran off the road.”

“Second: We’ll absorb the damages to the truck and fence and myself without complaint, on the condition that you see to it that you will control your officers better in the future. I don’t want to crash another truck into somemech, but I will.”

“Do you anticipate the patient in question returning?” Optimus’s vocalizer was a trace too eager.

“No, I don’t. But anything’s possible.” Desiree crossed her arms. “As it stands: I’ve lost a midwife candidate. Hopefully, word of this won’t spread. All I have to offer some of these mechs is safety and anonymity. If I can’t give them that, I have nothing. This cannot be repeated.”

“Agreed.” Optimus nodded. “I will speak to those in question.”

“All I can ask, it seems. I’ll show myself out.” Desiree walked down the stairs from the desk and out.

Optimus reached out and picked up his picture of the ARK, tapping the corner twice. It revealed a picture of a seekerling triple-changer staring over a strange mech’s shoulder. He ex-vented heavily and felt coolant beginning to escape his optics.

Orion… Starscream… The newsparks Starscream had returned to give birth to… Would they ever be safe? Would he know even if they were?

He set his helm in his hands and held it there until Jazz and Prowl crept in, soft-footing it.

He looked up at them, clearing his optics. “Prowl. Jazz. Sit down.” 

And he steeled himself for a long day.


	24. I LOVE DISNEY WORLD!

Starscream and Orion stepped off the shuttle at Happiness Spaceport and lost themselves in the crowd of high-gloss mechs and femmes wandering among the armies of organics. Starscream had re-painted himself in between changes and given Orion a few detail touch-ups to disguise him as well. He was now Lightningstorm, an older persona from the first time he had been at Happiness Spaceport and its accompanying resort.

One of the nice things about being on the run, at least when a mech could afford it, was that the best places to hide were generally very nice and enjoyable to stay at. He and Orion would be on a very nice vacation for a few months while they lost any pursuers.

When he had left Tahassi Spaceport, Starscream had turned to Orion. “If you could go anywhere, where would it be?”

Orion had grinned. “Disney Galaxy!”

“Then we’ll start there.” Starscream smiled at his Sparkling.

One of the first things human corporations had done when they found out that there was alien life in the galaxy was to find ways to market their products to them. One of the results was Disney Galaxy, a resort for alien races of all sizes and shapes. 

The lines were hellish, but the rides were generally worth the wait. Further, it was the off season, so the first half of the week would be practically abandoned.

Orion was so excited that he did his lessons for the week on the shuttle without complaint and bore with his three siblings when they fussed or needed cleaning.

Starscream was in contact with Swindle on the journey and the two mechs began bartering and battering each other. They would come to an agreement soon enough. Swindle owed Starscream and Starscream had Shanix enough to replace the Starcutter with a brand new freighter if he needed to.

When they arrived, Starscream managed to find them a small vacation rental apartment for the week and they settled in. He had bought several necessities for vacationers and fugitives alike: Two valises, the strong box with Desiree’s payment bundled in Orion’s baby quilt at the bottom of one. Blankets and snow suits for later in their trip. Energon Snacks, not healthy, but not cringe-worthy. A set of star charts and a pair of die from a Transformer-sized Monopoly set. After their first, fixed destination, Starscream assigned each ideal tourist trap a number and planned their trip based on twelve turns of the die. The result was a random pattern hopefully untraceable by intelligence agents. They would spend three to six days at each location, looping back to some of them.

Orion found Monopoly delightful and set up the board that evening. He won, no hands down, and Starscream tickled him in vengeance. 

Their laughter filled the small apartment and they fell asleep together on the couch, wrapped up in blankets while the three Sparklings slept in Starscream’s cockpit.


	25. Flight

The next morning, they went to the park to purchase tickets. Cybertronians were one of the most prevalent interstellar travelers, so many of the attractions were built for their size. It was a relief to walk among buildings and know that he could go into any of them without worrying about whether he could traverse their halls. Orion didn’t have as much trouble, but the little mech was getting bigger and bigger.

Orion wanted to go everywhere on their first day. Starscream was dragged from ride to ride by the eager Sparkling. Often, he waited in the short lines for their turn and then sat outside the exit, waiting for Orion to come back while the Sparkling rode fast-paced and sharp-turning roller coasters. Other times, the rides were gentle and Starscream could sit with Orion on it, enjoying the sun and the experience. 

Orion was especially fond of “Space Mountain” and Starscream sat on a bench reading a nonsense novel by some human writer for two hours while Orion ran out the exit of the ride and up through the near-empty entrance line over and over again. Finally, he put his pede down. Reaching out, he caught his Sparkling by the Scruff Bar. “That’s quite enough.”

“Awww.... But Carrier!”

“No, you are not going on Space Mountain again today. Maybe tomorrow.” Starscream subspaced the book and took Orion’s servo firmly. “Let’s go get some lunch.”

Orion took heart at the idea of food and went along with his Carrier quite easily. They had flavored Energon for lunch and walked along main street afterwards. 

Orion was quick to find a shop selling ridiculous hats and seize upon one with two round, iconic ears on top of it. “Carrier!”

Starscream groaned and shook his head. “Oh, very well, but I’m not wearing Mickey Mouse ears.”

Orion grinned wide and picked up a huge, plastic crown covered in blue and pink gems. 

Starscream finally gave in and acceded to wearing it. Orion also chose two hats and another crown for his brothers and sister.

They retired back to the apartment, had dinner, and watched silly human cooking shows until Orion fell asleep. Starscream carried him to his berth and tucked him in carefully. Then, he went to the window and looked out of it, watching the traffic below them. 

There was an edge to his stance, the position of his wings. He was no longer relaxed and the apartment felt very small and naked with the four things that mattered most in the universe to him.

He clenched a fist. They had not been found or followed. Neither Autobots nor Decepticons were breathing down his neckcables. No one was tracking his every pedstep. He was unrecognizeable. They were safe, hidden, and would be safer yet the longer they moved.

He brushed a servo over Orion’s helm and went to his own berth on the other side of the room. Closing his eyes, he fell into recharge.


	26. Memories

Starscream and Optimus stared across the canyon at each other. Some destined hand had pushed both to this location. To the rock formations and deep crags where Optimus had saved Starscream’s life.

Starscream panted, holding his null rays steady on Optimus. “Stay back! I’m warning you!”

“You’re not going to shoot me.” Optimus held his servos at shoulder height.

“You don’t know that.” Starscream panted out. “Just stay the Pit back!”

“I’m not going to hurt you. I come here to think, not fight.”

Starscream’s arm wavered and the ray slowly lowered, but did not power down. “What do you want?”

“You’re in my spot.” Optimus told him, lowering his hands slowly. “I come here to look at the stars and think, like I said.”

“Oh.” Starscream looked around. “It’s a good place for it.”

“I thought so too.” Optimus sat down on a boulder nearby. “Why don’t you join me?”

“Why?” Starscream’s suspicion was back full-bore. “What do you want from me?”

“I don’t want anything. I’m just here to think and-“

“Look at the stars. Yes, you’ve said. So I think I’ll just leave you to it.”

“You could. Or you could stay and we could talk. What are you doing here anyway?”

“Sometimes I just need to get off the Nemesis.” Starscream admitted. 

“I can imagine.” Optimus responded, looking up into the sky. “It must be difficult for you to follow a mech like Megatron.”

“Difficult doesn’t begin to cover it: He’s impossible!” Starscream snapped. “He never listens to me, even when I am proved right time and again, and no matter how much I do, he always finds some reason to find fault! His strategies are grandiose, his schemes foolhardy, and- Why am I even telling this to you?”

Optimus shrugged. “Pain has a way of bursting out at the oddest times.”

“Pain? I am not in pain, Prime.”

Optimus shot him a look. “If you say so.”

Starscream was taken aback and sat down on a boulder, watching Prime. “What’s it like to be you then?”

Optimus turned back. “Well…”


	27. Skywarp

Megatron scowled out of a viewport on the Nemesis. That filthy traitor, Starscream, had been on Earth, consorted with a human and proceeded to flee the planet with the Autobots on his track, only to disappear into the greater galaxy once again!

He stormed from the wall of glass, his ped-steps like miniature thunderbolts.

Skywarp watched with dimmed optics. Megatron had been getting crazier since Starscream disappeared. Without his screechy Second in Command, no one had the bearings to stand up to his more foolish schemes. Starscream had filled a hole that no one knew was there until he had vanished.

Of course, Skywarp knew why.

Their Trine bond was broken without Thundercracker. Starscream was distant and withdrawn, his spark closed to Skywarp.

Skywarp had drifted among the Seekers and found refuge in another broken trine. Starscream was hurt by the move and they fought viciously leaving both sparks and bodies broken and bleeding.

Of course, Starscream had not taken another Trine to his bosom, and offers were met with fists, kicks, and Seeker curses. Through it all, he kept his position as the lead Seeker.

Now who knew where he was?

Skywarp had seen the signs of his Carrying. He doubted a Seeker among them had missed it. Skywarp had worried. Without a Trine to support him and apparently without his mate, whoever the mech might be, how was Starscream to birth and raise a Seekerlet?

He had suspected that the Creator was Megatron. Their leader had calmed slightly whenever Starscream was about at that time. There had been fewer beatings though their screaming matches had anted up.

Why would Starscream run away, then? Why take a newspark out into the dangerous world and simply disappear with it?

Skywarp sighed, chittering. He could barely feel Starscream anymore. Even the unerring sense that his shattered Trine Mate was out there somewhere was fading away.

He missed his former Trine Leader.

As Megatron paced, Skywarp mused on him. Perhaps Megatron himself was the reason. Starscream had never enjoyed their leader’s company. If he had carried his child, he didn’t do so entirely willingly. 

Skywarp knew that Starscream’s own childhood had been painful and terrorized by an unfeeling step-Creator. He would have run if he saw anything so horrible in his Sparkling’s future.

And Megatron seemed like the kind to beat his mate, if not his Sparklings.

Skywarp wished his former leader well and turned away, going to find Acid Storm and Lightning Strike. He was in the mood for a comfort frag.


	28. The Happiest Place in the Galaxy

Starscream woke before planet dawn and got up and around. The routine never stopped for a Carrier on the run. He ran a bath for the triplets as soon as they had had their morning fuel and gently bathed them with a soft cloth.

Rigel was the most like him in appearance. He was mostly white with red legs and pedes and blue arms and servos. His wings were blue with a grey stripe and his gun was grey with purple highlights. His optics burned a golden red, almost an orange. Bellatrix had Megatron’s colors: Purple servos, a grey chassis, lavender wings with a grey stripe, and grey legs and pedes. Her optics were redder than Rigel’s and her faceplates reminded Starscream of the tyrant, but were too innocent to incite real memory. Regulus had treads and the beginnings of a cannon on his back. He was white all over with purple highlights and rose red eyes. He twitched a tiny servo as Starscream washed his treads and snorted. Already, he was the largest and would probably grow much faster than the other two. Starscream dried them off and replaced them in his cockpit, cuddling each one down into their places with a kiss on their helms. After that, he put together breakfast for himself and Orion, putting Orion’s energon cube beside his oldest son’s bed. 

Then, he had a moment just for himself. He sat down in a chair and rocked, singing Seeker songs to the three Sparklings nestled in. Eventually, the chirping and whistles brought Orion out of bed, gulping down his cube and ready to conquer Space Mountain all over again.

It was a peaceful way to start the day.

After Orion purged three hours into his quest to conquer Space Mountain, he finally had enough of the ride for the rest of the vacation and they went to Epcot to enjoy the scenery and the scale models of human culture.

It was Medieval Week at Epcot, so it was busier than the rest of the park. It was mildly ridiculous to see other Cybertronians around, dressed up in human traditional costumes, but this was coming from the mech in the giant, plastic tiara. 

Orion was delighted by the human children’s toys. He convinced his Carrier to let him have a paddleball and began beating the rubber ball back and forth at once. 

Starscream received a call from Swindle while Orion went on the Maelstrom. He pulled out the disposable comm. “Yes?”

“My friend, I have an amazing deal for you.”

“Really?”

“Indeed. Light freighter of the Vortex-Class. Thirty ton cargo capacity, three bedrooms and a common room with common washracks. Light cannon and shield capacity and it reaches .6 past lightspeed. I’ll let it go for a middling price in the range we discussed.”

Those specs were easily double what the Starcutter had. “What’s the catch?”

“I don’t have it yet and I’ll need to use it for an errand before I deliver it.”

Starscream’s tanks churned. “What kind of errand?”

“Smuggling, Star. Not piracy, don’t worry. Just a little errand…”

“That freighter had better not be tagged when I get it, Swindle.”

“It won’t be! You know me, Star! Would I sell you a tagged freighter?”

“Yes.”

“It won’t be. I swear. I’ll get it to you in two months. Where should I bring it?”

Starscream looked around at the beautiful scenery and Orion’s exuberance. “The happiest place in the galaxy, Swindle.”


	29. Optimus Prime Needs a Vacation

Optimus found that he had a tendency to brood in his office more often of late, studying star charts, trying to figure out where Starscream would go in his situation.

Desiree knew more than she said, but since when was that new? She had coughed up a copy of a Sparkling picture of Orion as a newborn wrapped in a thick quilt, but was silent on all other counts. 

Optimus supposed he should give her credit. She was far more patient with his prying inquiries and attempts than he would have been should she be giving him the same treatment. 

But it was so hard to know that his mate and Sparkling had been within arm’s reach, that he could have thrown out an arm and put it around them, and they had slipped through his servos.

There was a cutting snap and he looked down at the broken pieces of his stylus. With a sigh, he tossed them away. 

Maybe he needed a vacation.

An anonymous vacation.

If only the fires would go out for a week or two…


	30. There is a Need in Sentience

Starscream and Orion ended their time at Disney Galaxy with another visit to the Magic Kingdom. The crowds had doubled and tripled, so Starscream held Orion’s hand tightly as they made their way along. 

Orion stared into a window onto a display of figurines. “That one looks like Miss Desiree.” He pointed to one.

Starscream bent and examined the human-sized figure. “It does indeed. Look, that one looks like Moonbeam.” He pointed out a mech figurine beside it. 

“Can we have them?” Orion asked.

“They’d probably break and we have a long way to go.” Starscream reminded him.

“I mean can we send them to Miss Desiree? I think she’d like them.”

Starscream sighed and set a servo on his son’s shoulder, about to tell him that they couldn’t risk contacting someone like that. Then, he reconsidered. Why not? It was Desiree. Her mail fell under Diplomatic Seal, she had told him. It would take almost three months for a package to get to Earth. 

Heck, he could send her travel journals all about their journey, seal the packages, and send them back to her. Her mind would be at ease and by the time she received them, Starscream would be back to hauling cargoes and probably under a different identity entirely. Maybe he would go for something more aqua and grey this time, like the ocean in the morning.

With that in mind, the words that slipped off his glossa were: “Why not? Let’s get the figurines and one of those small notebooks and send her a nice, long letter?”

Orion grinned. “Yay!”

Starscream had the mech behind the counter wrap the well-packaged figurines in paper and put them in a mailing package. They had several pictures of their trip so far printed on hard glossy for Desiree at a store nearby. Then, he and Orion sat down in a café and began writing, and in Orion’s case, drawing in the notebook. After Orion lost interest, Starscream gave him a few Shanix to get a piece of energon candy from the large, colorful display.

Then, he picked up the pen and began writing a more serious letter. It was therapeutic, almost akin to confession, to write it all out, even if it was in ridiculously large letters on the human-sized notebook.

Desiree-

Orion is picking out some Energon sweets right now. He’s so happy and excited. All this is new to him. 

The triplets are doing fine. They mostly sleep in my cockpit, which is a good thing. A mech with four Sparklings is a rare thing these days. I want to shake anyone pursuing me before I carry them outside of the cockpit.

Speaking of pursuit, I haven’t seen any, which is worrying in and of itself. I’ve been having trouble recharging because of it, and I can’t afford that. I must be alert to keep my Sparkling’s safe.

It helps to have Orion in the same room with me. I almost rented an apartment with two bedrooms. I’m so glad I chose the cheaper option. 

He turned a page and continued writing.

You needn’t worry about the Starcutter anymore. I’ve been in touch with our skeezy friend and he’s going to deliver it to the happiest place in the galaxy in two months.

Starscream shook his head and ripped out the page. That was just too reckless. He signed what he had written and closed the notebook, stuffing it into the package and sealing it.

Orion came back with a small bag of crystal energon candy. “Want some, Carrier?”

“No thanks, Sweetspark.” Starscrem smiled down at his Sparkling and handed him the package. Pointing out the gigantic human-style mailbox, he said. “Why don’t you go put this in the mail box?”

“Okay!” Orion dropped his bag of candy on the table and picked up the package. He ran to the box right outside and went up on the tips of his pedes to drop it in.

Starscream put an arm around him as soon as he came back and held his Sparkling on his lap. They watched that planet’s surprisingly earth-like sun fall below the buildings together. The three newsparks wiggled in their places, shifting and curling into new positions. 

They were going to be fine.


	31. Bob the Box

Now, let’s say you were a package. What would your name be?

For the sake of narrative, let’s call our proverbial package “Bob.”

Bob was packed with great care and stuffed into a mailbox ten klicks before said mailbox was emptied. Bob was then carried back to the post office and sorted into a bin labeled for Earth. This bin was loaded onto a barge. The barge, we’ll call it “Mark,” has a problem. Mark has a glitch in his wiring that needs to be repaired.

Mark carried Bob along faithfully on his automated journey through the galaxy to deliver to two planets near Earth before he would reach Earth itself.

But this glitch forces Mark off his course and towards Earth early for immediate repair. Since Mark is at Earth anyway, and no one complains about early mail, Mark is unloaded of all of his mail intended for Earth. Bob thus arrives on Earth two months before he was supposed to. 

Bob is subsequently placed on a plane. We’ll call the plane Wade. Wade carries Bob down to the central post office where Bob is scanned for weapons and any kind of life. Then, Bob is re-loaded into Wade and sent on his way to the West.

Bob was dropped off at another post office where he was sorted out and sent to Athena Clinic, where all of the mail intended for Desiree’s neutral compound goes. Metalhawk does a mail run every second or third day from Athena to the Compound. He takes the bag containing Bob and various other pieces of mail to the compound and gives it to an aide to sort out. Moonbeam has help from her two Femmes, Sparkrider and Sandiaracer. These little two-wheelers sort out all the packages into piles and find Bob. 

Desiree almost never receives packages, especially not packages with Disney stamps, which Bob is festooned with. Immediately, they run out to Desiree’s house in the compound and give her Bob.

Desiree looks down at Bob and raises an eyebrow. She didn’t order anything from Disney, but it’s her name on the package.

She takes Bob inside and cuts him open, finding the figurines and notebook.

While the two femmes admire the glass figures, she opens the notebook and begins reading. She smiles, admiring the glossy photos, which makes what is left of Bob very happy.

Subsequently, she frowns, which makes Bob worried. Has he delivered bad news? Then, she picks up a crayon from inside her desk and runs the long side over a blank page.

She smiles again and sweeps what remains of Bob into her wastebasket. Bob contentedly waits to be recycled into something else. Hopefully, another mail package.


	32. Paradise

Starscream changed his paintjob before they left Happiness Spaceport. It was a subtle change, but one that could throw off pursuers with ease. Starscream knew how intelligence agents thought.

Orion pulled out his school datapad at Starscream’s urgings and began on a new battery of lessons. He amused himself by making a game of it, finishing a lesson and then pulling out his paddleball for a few hits back and forth. Occasionally, he would alternate the paddleball with a piece of energon candy.

Starscream patted his cockpit and pulled a travel blanket around his chassis. He dimmed his optics, but didn’t allow himself to fall into recharge.

Orion fell a few hours before they were scheduled to land. Starscream reached out and caught his school datapad before it could fall.

He stretched a kink out of his back and rubbed it. It was a good thing that this was their next destination. He could use a proper Vosnian massage.

Gently, he shook Orion’s shoulder and helped him to gather up his things as the shuttle docked. 

Beneath them floated the world Traxys, famous for its mineral springs and pleasant sunlight. 

They were staying at a middling spa resort. Not the most expensive, but not cheap either. The rooms were luxurious and padded excessively. Perfect for a recuperating Carrier.

Starscream mooned over the list of treatments and activities. The people here loved Sparklings and Orion would be well cared for an hour at a time if he chose to leave him in their capable hands. His three would be safe as well. 

He nodded to himself, making a decision. He and Orion would spend the afternoons in the jungles, exploring. For himself, Starscream would take the mornings and leave his Sparklings in the capable hands of attendant mechs.

Of course, whenever his Sparklings were out of his sight, he couldn’t help thinking and worrying about them. Even with a true Vosnian masseuse working at his wings and spinal struts.

“A challenge.” The masseuse commented. “So tense, even in paradise.”

Starscream smiled beneath his servos. “I have things on my mind.”

“That is why you are here, yes? To take your mind off them.”

“Mmm.”

Their conversation lapsed and the Vosnian continued massaging the plating until the cables beneath relaxed and he shuttered his optics, near recharge.

“That is better, yes?”

“Yes, that’s better.” Starscream murmured.

“Then my job is done. Perhaps I will see you again before your stay here is over. I would wish you a good day, but there is no way to have a bad one here.”

Starscream smiled and got up off the table, but his spark lurched. If only this friendly Vosnian knew. There were ways to be in hell even in paradise.


	33. Hell in Paradise

Starscream had just given birth a week prior when he stumbled into the spa hotel. He had picked Traxys by chance and was just looking for a place to stay the night and hopefully dodge the agents after him.

He had a canister of new paint in his subspace and Orion in his cockpit. In the hotel’s washracks, he painted over himself for the first time, changing his paintjob to match the name he had thrown at the receptionist: Icetwist.

In the morning, he was too tired to leave and spent the day recharging hard, only getting up to clean and bathe Orion and to order room service.

That evening, he was talked into a massage by the poolside.

The attendant was skilled and worked his plating with care. Even Orion, resting in safety, was relaxed. Then, Starscream spotted an agent across the pool. His wings trembled and all of the work the attendant had done was ruined.

“Is something wrong?” The femme questioned.

“No, no, it’s nothing.” Starscream cut his eyes back to the deck.

The femme had followed his gaze to the agent, staring around the deck. “Oh…”

“What?” Starscream almost snapped.

“Ex-Mate, then. I wondered why you were hiding the Sparkling.” She turned back to Starscream. “Don’t worry, I’ll cover for you.”

Immediately, she began a loud, nonsensical conversation with herself extolling the virtues of a long stay at the resort and heavily implying that Starscream was suffering from a long list of ailments and had been there for months. The agent’s eyes slipped over them, stayed for a moment, and moved on.

Starscream felt tension leave his frame as the agent left the deck. “Thank you.”

“Anything for a fellow Carrier.” She had said. “Did he beat you?”

“Yes.” Starscream answered, hedging, and she gasped.

He had an ally, one who ensured that he escaped Traxys intact and feeling a little better from that moment until he boarded a shuttle taking him back into the dirt and rust of the Rim.


	34. Memories 2

Optimus found Starscream to be a very intelligent mech and a good conversationalist. Their conversations broadened, covering a range of topics from advice for dealing with pranksters to what their homes had been like before the war. Likewise, their meetings had increased in frequency and duration.

Starscream had relaxed enough to sit next to Optimus on the boulder the truck-former favored. 

“Orion.” The Seeker pointed into the sky.

Optimus chuckled. “My favorite constellation.”

“Why? It’s not very detailed or large.”

Optimus sighed. “Before the Matrix chose me and I became a Prime, I was simply known as Orion Pax.”

He could practically hear Starscream’s processor turning. “That’s not any of the Senators or Councilmen.”

“I wasn’t one.” Optimus smiled. “I was a dockworker in Iacon.”

Starscream’s faceplates revealed his surprise. “You were a commoner.”

“Yes.” Optimus looked back up at the stars. “Orion is a humble constellation. It reminds me of who I was and who I am.”

“I see.” Starscream stood and ignited his thrusters, hovering over the canyon. “I don’t have a favorite. Whenever I look at the stars, I see opportunity. I was going to be an explorer once.”

“What happened?”

“I was convicted for murdering my research partner who died during an accident. Skyfire.”

It was Optimus’s turn to be surprised. “Skyfire?”

“Yes. Obviously, I didn’t do it.”

“Obviously.” Optimus echoed.

Starscream looked at the horizon. “Dawn will be here soon. Until next time, Prime.”

“Until next time, Starscream.”


	35. Poolside Muse

Starscream held Bellatrix to his cockpit, singing to her gently. She was fussy and refusing to go to recharge. 

Orion held Rigel and Regulus, one tiny Sparkling in each arm. They had slept readily and were cuddled to his chassis. His oldest Sparkling was ready to recharge as well and his tri-colored optics were dim with exhaustion. Finally, Starscream simply took Rigel and Regulus and placed them in his cockpit. Kissing Orion on his helm, he promised. “I’ll be back soon.”

Orion nodded and gently lay back on the berth, falling into recharge quickly. 

Starscream took Bellatrix out and went down to the pool, pacing the deck and bouncing Bellatrix up and into the air with each step.

Bellatrix continued to whine pitifully for another few breems before she quieted and could be placed in the cockpit.

Of course, by then, Starscream was too tense to get into recharge himself. 

He slid into the warm pool with ease. It was the perfect temperature for Sparklings. Cybertron’s ocean was acidic and hot. No one had swum in it for pleasure unless their armor was impervious.

Fresh water had become something of a guilty pleasure for many transformers. Starscream indulged when he could and had introduced Orion to the ocean very young. When the Sparklings were older, he would take them to the water as well.

Transformers did not float like other species. Starscream sat down in the water, rocking back and forth. In his sealed cockpit, the Sparklings slept obliviously.

Starscream rested his helm against the edge of the pool and chirred contentedly. At times like this, he wished Optimus was with him. The truck-former would love the cool water, though he would probably splash Starscream thoroughly.

There had been a mischievous streak in the dignified Prime.

Feeling sparksick, Starscream climbed out of the pool and toweled down, polishing with the fabric as he went. What could their lives be like if he had stayed on earth? Defected from the Decepticons, living with Optimus Prime and their Sparkling. Rigel, Bellatrix, and Regulus could have been Optimus’s Sparklings. They’d be out of danger permanently: No more cargoes through pirate-infested space, no more worrying over accounts, no more scraping and pinching to make sure his sparklings had their school texts…

It all sounded so perfect and yet the thought of facing his once-lover after all he had said and done was intolerable. It made his sparksickness intensify and become dreadful nausea in his tanks.


	36. Dreamtime

Optimus cupped Starscream to his chassis as the Seeker pressed their lipplates together, glossa snaking out and lubricating their conjoined plating. 

Starscream’s port had been leaking lubricants steadily for the past several kliks. Optimus groaned as the Seeker wiggled on top of him. He gripped the Seeker’s shoulders and turned him over into the soft berth.

Starscream smiled sultrily and his cockpit began separating, revealing a thickening line of white light…

Optimus woke feeling unsatisfied and groping a pillow. 

Slightly embarrassed, he sat up. He hadn’t had an interface dream about Starscream in forever, but from what he remembered, the subject matter was almost always the same and it focused on what he had never been able to enjoy with the Seeker. Namely, having Starscream in a proper berth with soft, warm sheets and covers. Their trysts had been at the bottom of their canyon on relatively flat places. 

It hadn’t been the most comfortable, especially not for the Seeker. They had chosen positions that would keep Starscream’s sensitive wings out of the gravel.

That generally meant that Starscream was riding Optimus.

Optimus picked himself up and went to the viewport in his room. He would have loved to bring Starscream into the base with him and take him to berth properly, but the Seeker would never allow it. It would have been tantamount to defecting and Starscream had never been ready to do that.

After all, his seekers would follow him. He had to think of what was best for them.

Optimus placed a servo on the window, staring down at earth. Humans: Forgiving, forgetful… their conflicts never lasted more than a decade. Their lives so short, their dreams so big. If only Transformers could forget so easily, so quickly.

If only they could pull their world back together, live in peace once more.


	37. Angrboda

After a few relaxing days at the spa and another package in the mail, their next destination was the mountainous climes of Angrboda, a world famous for its chilling temperatures. Even Cybertronians needed snow gear to manage the extreme temperature.

Orion found the snowsuit Starscream bought for him suffocating. “Do I have to wear this, Carrier?”

“Your joints will lock up and your energon freeze if you don’t.” Starscream warned, buckling the pants into place in the rubber over-pedes.

Orion grumbled again, but it was muffled in the hood Starscream drew over his helm. 

“You’re going to wear it and that’s final.” He admonished his Sparkling. “Even your siblings have snowsuits.”

The Sparklings’ snowsuits resembled zippered bags with heat pads between the layers that hugged them tightly and made Starscream’s cockpit too cramped to hold all three. When he had discovered this, he had acquired a Sparkling backpack with even more insulation and tucked Regulus into it.

Starscream himself wore a silver snow suit and goggles. The outfit would help disguise him and keep him warm as well. Seekers were especially prone to freezing because of their large wings. Orion’s were bundled tightly with warmers tucked into the pockets. Starscream’s were less sensitive, but he had heat packs in his subspace just in case.

They were staying at a “Swiss” lodge built about halfway up the mountain’s slopes. Starscream rented a sled for Orion and let him play on the child’s slopes near the lodge while he rolled a snowman and turned it into a Seeker with branches.

Regulus watched in delight from his cocoon of warmth. The little tank’s optics were wide and he had been taking more and more interest in the outside world. Precocious and strong-willed, Starscream had no doubt that he would be the first to do everything of his little trine. 

Assuming Bellatrix didn’t beat him to the punch, of course. Pure seekerlets were known to grow faster than any other frame type. If she followed the pattern, she’d soon be acting the oldest of the three.

It made him almost sorry for little Rigel.


	38. Tip-Off Part 1

Optimus liked to make a habit of getting out of Autobot Headquarters and spending an evening on Earth occasionally. One of the spots he enjoyed frequenting was a Cybertronian version of an earthling restaurant. It catered to both species, one of very few that did. It was a novelty of hybridized Cybertronian and human culture. The Cybertronian waiter wore a human-style tuxedo frontispiece and Cybertronian diners were encouraged to dress in bow ties and other human-style regalia.  
Optimus had been given a red and blue striped bow tie by the twins and wore it whenever he patronized the place.  
“Prime?” The cybertronian waiter found his reservation. “Your human guest has arrived already. Right this way.” He picked up a large menu and carried it towards a large table. On top of it, a smaller table had been stacked and a feminine figure was perusing the menu.  
“Desiree?” Optimus questioned, sitting in the chair across from her.  
“Hello, Optimus. Sorry to be so dramatic, but I haven’t had an excuse to go out in weeks.” She looked up at the waiter. “I’ll have a bottle of the Albarino ’99 and a pot of hot tea.”  
“Of course, madam. And you, sir?”  
“Hot energon.” Optimus found ordering different drinks and courses amusing. The Cybertronian menu boiled down to different temperatures and flavors of energon, but the ceremony that humans treated it with was fascinating.  
“I never thought this kind of thing would be your speed.” She waved a hand at the surroundings. “Always assumed you’d be more of a stay-at-home mech.”  
“Human ritual is fascinating to observe and participating is fun.”  
“If you say so. I’ve always found ordering wearing. Fortunately, the food often makes up for it. I can’t cook to save my life.”  
“Indeed? I have never tried to make anything like they serve here.” Optimus scanned the menu.  
“I can’t imagine it would be easy.” Desiree flipped her menu’s page and then shut it, setting it down. “I’m ready when you are.”  
Optimus nodded and picked out a few random “dishes.” “I am as well.”  
They ordered when their drinks arrived, ate, and Desiree finally spoke. “All pleasantries aside, I came here for a reason.”  
“I surmised as much.”  
“A certain patient of mine has been in contact with me.” Desiree swirled her white wine with her good arm.  
“Ah. The patient that caused such a stir not long ago?”  
“Indeed. He’s safe and well, as are the packages.” Desiree set down her wine glass after a sip. “I hope you appreciate that we never had this conversation?”  
“I do.” Optimus was hanging on her every word, servo tightening on the cut glass.  
“He’s given me a clue as to where he’s going to be in about two weeks.” She frowned at Optimus’s eager look and open vocalizer. “Hush. If you interrupt me, my oaths might convince me not to talk you at all.”  
Optimus shut his lipplates firmly.  
“The Happiest Place in the Galaxy.” She finally spat out. “Go there and may fortune smile on you both.”  
Optimus nodded. “I will. As soon as I-“  
“No. You can’t wait for anything. This is a vague estimate. I might be wrong. The date might have passed already. You must leave now.”  
“But-“  
“No! No, buts! If you want this, go get it. If you don’t, don’t.” She tapped her glass. “And I would suggest not going as yourself.”  
Optimus’s expression was firm and determined. “Very well. I’ll take your advice this once.”  
She snorted. “I’ll believe it when I see it.” Standing, she settled her bill and left.


	39. Tip-Off Part 2

Swindle didn’t like dealing with either Decepticon or Autobot high command. Both spelled trouble for him. Their war made his business profitable and playing both sides kept him rich, but dealing with fanatics was a fool’s game.

Dealing directly with Megatron was a waste-purging level of terrifying though. 

“Ah, Mighty Megatron, glorious leader of the noble Decepticons! How may I serve?” Swindle questioned the Decepticon leader as he strode into his base.

“I require information.”

“Ah, of course! What may I help you with?” Swindle kept a smile painted on his lipplates.

“I know you have been doing business with a certain treacherous second of mine.”

“Starscream, my Lord? I don’t know what you mean.” Swindle hedged, hoping the giant was just playing a hunch.

“I think you do.” Megatron gripped his jaw. “But I am a merciful ruler… so I will not ask for the name of the freighter you sold him. All I will ask for is a location.”

Swindle swallowed and reset his vocalizer. “Of course, Mighty Megatron, I think I can help you with that…”


	40. Carousel Line

Starscream and Orion arrived back in Happiness Spaceport sixteen hours before Swindle was expected to arrive with the new freighter. Orion was over the moon at being back at Disney Galaxy for the day and Starscream was happy as well. There had been no sign of pursuit except for a dodgy customs agent looking for contraband in Starscream’s valises. He hadn’t discovered the strong box and found no reason to detain them further and so they had been allowed to leave the system.

So far, they had sent thirteen packages to Desiree total containing various small momentos: A human-sized mug with hot chocolate and peppermint mix from Angrboda; A soothing clay mask cream from Traxys; Shells from Playa de Oro; A desk ornament that projected fish and sharks into the air from Seaworld’s version of Disney Galaxy; and many more.

Rigel and Bellatrix could still comfortably fit in his cockpit without much room to spare, but Regulus was much too large. Further, Bellatrix was growing more and more aware and stubborn every day and didn’t want to be shut up in her Carrier’s cockpit while the world went on outside. Starscream had to carry them both in his front-hanging baby harness while Rigel was perfectly happy to remain in the cockpit with a fuel line near his intake at all times. 

Bellatrix chittered and peeped Seeker near constantly. Starscream often trilled back, encouraging her mastery of their primal language.

The vacation season had started up and the park was packed with mechs, femmes, and Sparklings. Perfect to disappear into, hell to wait in line.

Fortunately, the long lines put Orion off most of the rides and after a breem long wait for Space Mountain, he wasn’t eager to go again. 

They shopped around Main Street and Epcot, enjoying the spectacle. When Orion grew tired of walking, they watched a Cybertronian re-make of Toy Story… and Toy Story 2… and Toy Story 3.

Starscream put his pede down when Orion was making for Toy Story 4. “I’ll get you any three Toy Story toys you want, but we’re not going to see another movie!”

“Awww… All right, Carrier.” Orion dug through the bins of toys until he had a Woody and Bullseye and a Jessie. Then, he looked with such longing at the Buzz Lightyears that Starscream groaned and bought him one. 

“These are your Spark Day presents, though!” He warned his Sparkling.

“Okay!” Orion held his new toys, grinning happily. He reminded Starscream of his Creator so much when he smiled like that.

Starscream checked his chrono. “We have four hours to burn. What do you want to do next?”

“Can we ride some more rides?”

Starscream sighed and thought. “Fine. Let’s go on the Carousel. It’s the only one we haven’t.”

“Okay.” Orion put a servo in his Carrier’s and they walked out into the crowd.

Bellatrix chittered and peeped, pointing at a display of light-up toys. Starscream sighed and they stopped to get a multi-colored light up squishy ball for her and two for her brothers.

Finally, they reached the Carousel and got into line. Behind them, a purple and black truckformer cut off the family behind them. “Hey!”

“Sorry!” The truckformer turned and told the Creator. 

The line moved like a slug. Starscream pulled out another paperback and lost himself in its pages while Orion and Bellatrix amused themselves with their new toys.


	41. Optimus's Journey

Optimus arrived at Disney Galaxy ten cycles before Starscream did. He wandered the parks at first, trying some rides, watching the mechs, picking up a souvenir or two. He had a new paintjob for the vacation specifically and had brushed off all of Jazz’s attempts to supervise him.

Or at least, he hoped he had managed to shake his intelligence officer. Running and hiding wasn’t something he normally did and Starscream certainly wouldn’t thank him for bringing down his Autobots on the Seeker’s helm.

Optimus took to sitting on a bench where he could scan the crowds near the entrance and pretending to read a Cybertronian-sized human novel. He saw lots of single-parent families, which made him sad, wondering how many of them had lost a Carrier or Creator to their long and pointless civil war.

There were many Seekers, most of them escorting at least one Sparkling, and almost all of them in groups of three or six. Trines, Optimus assumed.

He didn’t spot Starscream and identify him as Starscream at first. At first, all he saw was another unfamiliar Seeker. But then he took note of the twin mechlings strapped to the Seeker’s front and followed the arm down to the Sparkling’s servo that was clamped firmly in the mech’s own. 

His Spark had lurched as he recognized Orion and realized that the unfamiliar black and gold Seeker was Starscream.

He closed the book and subspaced it. Getting to his pedes, he began following them, trying to stay out of Starscream’s sight.

They had lost him near the movie theaters, and he had searched the park in a panic for cycles thinking they had slipped past him only to spot them heading for the Carousel. The perfect opportunity! He rushed to get in line behind them and cut off the family heading towards the ride as well. “Sorry!”


	42. A Bench on a Carousel

Starscream claimed the Carousel’s bench as soon as they made it to the front of the line. “ONLY an hour long wait? Pah!” He gently unbuckled Bellatrix, who was getting fussy again, and slipped her into his cockpit for a fueling. Tossing Regulus’s blanket over his shoulder, he offered Regulus a different fuel line.

Orion raced about the Carousel and finally settled on a huge black horse with red and blue trimmings on its gold saddle. He was within optic-view, barely.

“May I sit here?” The truck-former who had been behind them asked politely.

“Go ahead, if you don’t mind sitting beside-“ Starscream gasped, catching sight of the mech’s faceplates.

“Relax, Starscream. I’m alone.” Optimus assured him.

“What do you want? How did you find us?”

“That doesn’t matter. I’m on vacation and I just… I wanted to talk to you.”

Starscream glared. “You’re talking now.” There was a lurch and the ride began moving. “Believe me, if there weren’t so many people around, I would null ray you into the ground.”

“I believe you, but I think we really do need to talk.”

“There’s nothing to talk about.”

“What about Orion?”

Starscream gasped. “How do you know-?”

“He told me. Star, please. I understand if you don’t trust me, but just give me a bit. I want to… I don’t want to be apart from you and our son.”

Starscream frowned and checked his chrono. “I have an hour after we get off this ride. We can have dinner.”

Optimus beamed. “You won’t regret this, Star. I promise. Even if you just want to walk away.”

Starscream harrumphed and looked away. “I already do.”


	43. Did You Really Think Optimus Could be Stealthy?

Jazz listened to the comm. “What are you seeing Mirage?” His job wouldn’t be so darn hard if his leader was easier to protect.

“Optimus has gotten into the line for the carousel.” The Spy responded. “We’re going to be here a while.”

Jazz groaned and facepalmed. Optimus had led them a merry chase all that day after sitting on a bench for the rest of his time at Disney Galaxy. “Roger that.”

An hour later, Optimus was climbing onto the ride after a Seeker and his Sparklings. Mirage reported everything to Jazz. Jazz groaned. It was going to be a loooooong few cycles before the park closed.


	44. Riding into the Sunset

Orion looked up at the purple and black mech who got off the ride with his Carrier. “Orion!” He exclaimed after taking a moment to study him.

“Well, hello, Orion.” Optimus smiled down at the Sparkling. “Are you having fun?”

“Yes! I have new toys! Want to see?”

“Why not? Let’s go get some energon while we’re at it.”

“So long as you’re paying.” Starscream grouched.

“Of course! My treat.” Optimus walked with them, listening with half an audial to Orion’s chattering about Toy Story. He had a feeling someone would be wanting holo-copies. As they walked, he dared to put an arm around Starscream, unsure of where he stood with the Seeker, but wanting desperately to hold him.

Starscream sighed and shook his helm, but didn’t protest and Optimus’s spark soared.

They chose a small restaurant beside a jungle gym and Optimus carried a tray of energon cubes over to the table Starscream had chosen. Orion guzzled his energon and ran to play with the other Sparklings.

Optimus turned to Starscream. “So… How have you been?”

“Surviving. We run cargoes, Orion and I.”

“With the Starcutter.”

“Yes, we used to, but we have a new freighter now.”

“I’m glad. I worried for you when I realized that you had lost your means of living.”

“Desiree was generous.”

“She is an incredible human.”

“You don’t have to tell me. She should be an example to the rest of the little rotters.” But the insult was half-hearted at best.

Optimus chuckled. “Well, according to TIME magazine…”

Starscream laughed. “Yes, yes…”

There was an awkward pause as Optimus tried to think up a delicate way to phrase the burning question. “So…” He heaved an ex-vent. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“What? That I was carrying?” Starscream looked away. “It wasn’t your business.”

“Starscream... I could understand if you just didn’t want me in his life, but… Don’t you think I should have known? I’ve been so worried about you all these years. I didn’t know what happened to you or the Sparkling. I didn’t even know whose Sparkling it was…”

Starscream crossed his arms over Regulus. He was on the defensive and Optimus could see all the signs. “He’s my Sparkling. They all are.”

“I know, Starscream.” Optimus ex-vented again. “I know.”

Starscream grumbled under his breath. “You aren’t going to ask?”

“Ask what?”

“Whose these are.” He bit out.

“You told me: Yours.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“It doesn’t matter to me. I guess I can’t expect to be the only mech in your life after fifteen vorns…”

Starscream nailed him with a glare of pure murder.

“What?”

“You- You dumb grounder! Of course you would assume that! Just because Seekers normally have multiple mates, you think I do! How dare you!” He half-rose.

“Starscream.” Optimus sighed and buried his helm in his hands. “This isn’t going how I wanted it to.”

“And what did you expect? That this was going to be a magical moment and you were going to convince me to ride off into the sunset on your hood? Well, that’s not how this works in real life and you can just-“ His tirade was cut off when Orion ran back to their table. “Yes, Orion?”

“Carrier, can I have a frozen energon treat? Please? Please?”

“Certainly, let me just-“ Starscream reached for his subspace. Optimus beat him to it.

“Here. Why don’t you get one for your Carrier and I as well? I’d like a Mickey-mouse shaped cream one.”

“Okay! What do you want, Carrier?”

Starscream hissed through clenched dentas and sat down. “A lemon push-up pop.”

“All right!” Orion took the shanix and ran off to get in line in front of the ice cream stand.

Starscream and Optimus stared at each other.

Finally, Starscream looked away. “It was Megatron.”

“Huh?” Optimus stared.

“We were running close to bankruptcy and there wasn’t another cargo job in sight yet.” Starscream bit out. “So I took a job at a dance club. Megatron came in and coerced me into hiring myself out for the night. I didn’t want him to look too closely at me, so I agreed. He practically forced me into a spark-to-spark.”

“Oh, Starscream.” Optimus enveloped him in strong arms. “I’m so sorry.”

“Get off me! I don’t want your pity!” He pushed him away half-heartedly.

“Please, come back with me. I don’t want to think of you all somewhere out there in the-“

Starscream grunted and shoved him away. “No!” Standing, he practically steamed with fury. “I don’t know what you were thinking, cornering me like this, but No! Wherever you go, the war follows you. I’ve put too much into raising my Sparklings away from it to go back now! They’re never going to be folded over into anyone’s army and I’m never going back! So you can just-“ He tried to storm off, but Optimus’s servo shot out and clenched his wrist. Turning, he was about to snarl when Optimus said the most unexpected words he could imagine.

“Then take me with you.”

“You- What?” Starscream was shocked.

“Take me with you. If you won’t join me, let me join you. Please, Starscream. I can’t bear to be away from you anymore. We can start our lives over, together.”

“But- But you’re Prime!” Starscream stuttered.

“It doesn’t matter to me. I wasn’t coded for this. I can’t stand it anymore. I want to be with you, away from the war. Prowl can fight with or without me. I just- I just want to be at peace. I just want to be with you.”

Starscream’s intake was open in surprise, his crimson optics blown wide. “You- Really? You mean that?”

“I mean it, Starscream. Take me with you.”

Starscream tossed himself into Optimus’s arms and kissed him firmly. “Don’t say another word, you-“ He cut himself off with another hard kiss.

Optimus wrapped his arms around the Seeker, being mindful of the Sparkling, and kissed him hard. The scent of polish and ozone and something uniquely Starscream filled his vents. 

Optimus finally pulled back, stroking Starscream’s cheekplates. “Starscream…”

“Carrier?” A confused Sparkling’s voice cut in. Orion was finally back with their ice creams.

“Yes, Orion?” Starscream kept his optics on Optimus, beaming.

“What’s going on?”

“We’re going home, Orion. We all are.” Starscream continued to beam and took Optimus’s servo in his.


	45. OH MY GOD, GET OUT OF HERE!

Jazz almost glitched, unable to process what he was hearing from Mirage’s mics. Optimus Prime and Starscream? The two were like oil and water!

And yet… he pulled up the picture of the Sparkling, Orion, and studied it. There was Optimus Prime in that Sparkling, it was plain to anyone with optics.

 

Soundwave listened to Laserbeak’s transmissions. “Megatron: Soundwave reports.”

“Yes, Soundwave?” Megatron pretended to be interested in a display of plush toys.

“Laserbeak: Located Starscream. Soundwave: Transmitting surveillance now.”

“Good, Soundwave.” Megatron absorbed the feed in deadly silence.

“Lord Megatron: Upset?”

“Yes, Soundwave. Megatron is very upset.” Megatron nearly ripped a stuffed toy’s head off. “Very upset indeed.”


	46. Promises Are Like Hearts...

Starscream leaned on Optimus’s shoulder as they rode the monorail back towards the park entrance. Optimus was cooing over Bellatrix and Rigel as they slept in his arms. “They’re perfect, Starscream.”

“Even if they aren’t yours?”

“They’re yours and that’s all that matters.” Optimus assured him.

Orion was very confused. “So… Orion is my Creator?”

“Yes, Sweetspark. Orion is your Creator.” Starscream cooed to his eldest Sparkling.

“Oh.” Orion mused on that for a long time. “So… where have you been?”

“Away, for a long time.” Optimus answered his Sparkling. “But it’s okay. We’re going to be a proper family now.”

Orion hugged his Teddy Bear. Starscream had unsubspaced it at his Sparkling’s pleading before re-subspacing the valises. “Really?”

“I promise.” Optimus smiled at his Sparkling.

Starscream cuddled into his side further.

Predictably, this was the moment Megatron chose to leap from a nearby building onto the monorail train. There was a massive thump and the outlines of his pedes were visible through the roof.


	47. ...Made to be Broken

Optimus and Starscream jumped to their pedes. Optimus handed the two Sparklings back to Starscream and he hurriedly slipped them into his cockpit, pressing Regulus in on top of them. He could barely close the cockpit without crushing them and they chirped and peeped in their discomfort and fright.

Optimus took Starscream’s servo and looked out of the monorail windows. “We have to-“ 

Starscream blew the side of the car open and pulled Optimus and Orion out the side. “We have to run!” He snapped. “Come on!”

Optimus braked hard. “He’s going to hurt-“

Jazz and Mirage appeared suddenly, calling for back-up as they went. 

“He’s well in hand. Your Autobots must have followed you. Come on, Optimus!” Starscream pulled towards the boundary of the park.

“Creator! Carrier!” Orion called. He had run ahead and only stopped when he realized no one was following him.

“Come on, Optimus! We have to leave!” Starscream pulled against the stubborn truck-former.

“I can’t just leave my men!” Optimus pulled back, taking his servo out of Starscream’s.

Starscream took a step back, expression heartbroken and despairing. “Of course you can’t.”

“No, Starscream, wait-“

“There’s nothing to wait for! I should have known!” Starscream shouted back, turning to run. He grabbed Orion and took to the air. 

“STARSCREAM!” Optimus reached for them.

Starscream’s optics were streaming coolant, as were Orion’s.


	48. Too Great a Price

Optimus turned back to the mech who had cost him so much in life and gave a battle scream fueled by rage and pain. 

Megatron stared after Starscream as he flew. He turned his eyes back to Optimus only to find the Prime staring back up at him in hatred. “Until we meet again, Prime.” He turned and retreated. “Soundwave, intercept Starscream at the space port.” 

“Soundwave: Acknowledges.”


	49. Miserable Night

Starscream ran to the appointed cargo bay. The spaceport was in a panic, news of Megatron’s attack had reached the populace. He slipped through the mobs and found the bay Swindle had indicated.

Swindle was surprised to see him. Too surprised. “Star! I didn’t expect you-“

Starscream grabbed him by the neckcables. “You brought them here. You- You- You led them right to us! You’ve ruined everything!”

Swindle choked. “Star- Please-“

“You slag-eater. You betrayed me. You betrayed us all.”

“I’ll- Give it to you! She’s yours: Take her! No charge!” He struggled and Starscream’s tanks churned.

Throwing Swindle halfway across the bay, Starscream sobbed. “Get out of here! I never want to see you again!”

Swindle scrambled to his feet, tossing the datapad containing the ship’s codes to Starscream, and ran.

Orion was still sobbing, pressed into Starscream. “Carrier…”

“I know, Sweetspark. Me too.” Starscream choked back a sob and punched in the entry code. There was no way to know if the freighter was still untagged, but he couldn’t bring himself to care.

They flew out at full speed and jumped to lightspeed within minutes. At last, Starscream allowed himself to break down, holding his four Sparklings to his chassis and crying his optics out, wailing.

The four children joined in.

It was a miserable night for all of them as they sorted themselves out into the new freighter. Orion half-heartedly arranged his new toys in a chest of drawers when he missed his teddy bear. “Carrier.”

“Yes, Orion?” Starscream packed their winter wear into one of the valises and stored it in the master bedroom’s closet.

“I lost my teddy.”

“We’ll get you a new one, Orion. As soon as we make port.” Starscream set the strong box into the secret drawer beneath the bed and closed it, keeping enough Shanix out to buy more energon and some necessities when they made port next.

Orion hugged Starscream around the middle. “I want- I want-“

“I know, Sweetspark. I know.” Starscream rubbed his eldest sparkling’s back. 

Orion sobbed quietly. “Will we see him again?”

“I don’t know, Sweetspark. I just don’t know.”


	50. OOC

Megatron flipped the conference table aboard the Nemesis. Soundwave flinched back. “Soundwave: Apologizes.”

Megatron growled. “I want that Seeker and his brats found! I don’t care what it takes! Triple the bounty on his head, put out all the information we have on him! Do it now!”

Soundwave bowed. “Yes, Lord Megatron.” The telepath hurried away, not liking this side of Megatron that Starscream had so often seen.

This Megatron made him worry.

 

Optimus knelt in the grass and picked up his son’s teddy bear in a careful servo.

Jazz stepped close to him. “So… you and Screamer, huh? That’s going to be a wrench in the betting pool.”

Optimus sighed heavily. “Jazz?”

“Yeah, Prime?”

“Shut up.”


	51. Time Jump

Vorns passed. Starscream explained everything to his eldest Sparkling, from the war to their flight. He edited pieces, glossed over more unpleasant details, but Orion was bright enough and old enough to remember and to put two and two together. 

His poor Sparkling cried himself to sleep for many nightcycles after he heard the tale.

The triplets shared a berthroom, Orion had his own, and Starscream had the third. Their new ship, the Novasword, was everything the Starcutter had been, squared. They could run larger, more valuable cargoes and were no longer living servo to intake. After the initial expenditure, Starscream began putting Shanix back into the strong box in his secret drawer. 

Ten vorns after their run in at Disney Galaxy, and they had quite the tidy sum in the box. Starscream kept a careful record of in and out sums, looking forwards to the day he could buy ironclad new identities for all of them and retire to some neutral planet. Stop living on the run.

He had gotten even better at fighting over the vorns. At great risk and for a tidy sum, he had contracted with a master of the human martial art Krav Maga. After a month of training, he could take on mechs much larger and faster than he was. His null rays had been upgraded again along with his power systems and with thicker armor he was well on his way to becoming invincible. Even his wings, which were both his greatest strength and weakness, had received a change. 

The problem with wings was that they were a broad target and very sensitive. Even with his pain tolerance at the level it was after so many torturous millennia of war, injuries to his wings could still make him scream.

It was a blessing to be able to simply raise his arms above his head, stretch, and fold them away into armor pockets designed to protect them.

It gave the added bonus of being difficult to recognize as a Seeker.

His new identity was Mariner and the matching paintjob was artistic: Aqua, pea, and azure contrasting with shining silver and matte grey in swirling, wave patterns. Orion and Bellatrix had done it when Orion matured to the same age as a nine-year-old human. Starscream had laughed and called them his little artists, stroking Orion’s abbreviated null rays. They would be active when he reached the maturity of a human sixteen year old.

Bellatrix had matured to six years in the time it had taken her triplet siblings to be the same level as a four year old. She was extremely bright and appeared to have inherited both of her parents’ intelligence. Starscream was proud of all of his Sparklings, each special, but Bellatrix was a cut above them.

“Carrier!” Speaking of the little she-witch.

Starscream looked up from his account book. “Yes, Bella?”

“Orion says that we’ll be reaching our port in a few breems.”

“Excellent!” Starscream smiled and picked up his seekerlet, kissing her forehelm. “You know what that means.”

Bellatrix giggled. “We get treats!”

“Yes, we get new supplies!” Starscream stood up. “Where are your brothers?”

“They’re in the common room. Rigel and Regulus are making another mess.” She scowled in disgust.

“I bet they’re having a lovely time.” Starscream soothed his seekerlet. “Why don’t you go help ready the ship to come in?”

“Okay!” Bellatrix wiggled away and jumped down, doing a graceful backflip before she hit the floor and landed already running off.

Starscream was jealous of her energy.

He stepped into the common room and found his little tank and triple-changer playing with their colorful blocks. Starscream had spent many pleasant afternoons aboard the Novacutter making them custom blocks out of dowels and painting them with all the colors any little mech could possibly imagine. The resulting palaces and fortresses would have put Versailles to shame.

The blocks did seem very scattered today. The two argumentative little mechlings must have had one of their wrestling matches and tossed them everywhere. Starscream sighed and chuckled, pushing them back together in their reach. 

“Tanks!” Regulus grinned when Starscream offered him the perfect block for his next tower.

Starscream smiled and kissed his little one’s helm. “You’re welcome, Regulus.”

Regulus giggled and Rigel made a frustrated Seeker noise for attention. He was the smallest of the three and seemed to be the slowest developing. 

“I love you too, Sweetspark.” Starscream scooped up the triple-changer and kissed him on the helm and cheeks. “Give Carrier a kiss?”

Rigel giggled and leaned forward, pressing a kiss to Starscream’s cheekplate.

Starscream smiled and set his mechling back down. Rigel went back to his blocks with a little grin.

Starscream walked up into the cockpit where Orion was reading scans. “What does it look like, First Mate Orion?”

Orion smiled at Starscream. “We look good, Carrier. All set and hatches in.”

“Thank you, Orion.” Starscream kissed his Sparkling’s helm and took the pilot’s chair, bringing them out of lightspeed.

They maneuvered into the dock and Starscream stood. “You all know the drill. Bellatrix?”

“I can leave the ship, but I have to stay in the bay and keep out of the way. If Orion leaves, though, I can go with him.” Bellatrix parroted.

“Good. Orion?”

“I can leave the ship, but I’m not to go more than a few breem’s walking distance and to return at the first sight of bounty hunters.” Orion repeated. “And if Bellatrix comes with me, I’m to hold her hand all the way.”

“Good both of you. And remember…”

“Don’t get caught.” They added. “We remember, Carrier.”

Starscream hugged them. “Have fun and be back at the ship in two cycles. We’re here to unload, then I’m going to need help with the supplies, and we’re loading and leaving right after.”

“We remember, Carrier.” They chorused and ran out.


	52. Act 2, Most Certainly

Starscream oversaw the dock workers unloading with Rigel and Regulus hanging in a sling across his back. Another good thing about putting his wings away: Easier to carry objects.

When the workers had finished, Starscream went back into the Novacutter and called a mech looking for a cargo freighter to take a shipment of newly smelted alloy to a factory. The Novacutter could barely carry the shipment and had managed to outbid their competition by a few hundred credits. They were cutting it close, but they could do it. Swindle had fitted the Novacutter the way he would a smuggling vessel: It was faster at full weight than any other in its class. Unless Swindle owned those other ships, that is.

Starscream’s hatred had cooled of late and he and Swindle were back at their normal relationship levels, though Starscream occasionally thought of the mech with hatred when he allowed himself to dwell on what could have been.

Orion and Bellatrix came running in a few clicks before their time was up. “Carrier! We’re back!”

Starscream smiled. “I’m almost ready to go! Get the shopping bags!”

“Yes, Carrier!” Orion cheered. 

“In a minute!” Bellatrix ran back to her room she shared with her brothers, doubtless to deposit some new trinket she had found in the dust and dirt of the spaceport. She had keen eyes and was quick to spring on shiny bits of debris hoping for stray Shanix or other little objects.

Starscream worried that keen eyes and quick hands might turn to palming finds that weren’t really lost. It would draw the bad sort of attention if his child was caught stealing, though war and near-starvation had long ago erased his compunctions about petty theft for its own sake.

He was loose-moraled and he knew it. Did that make him evil?

Bellatrix finally joined them and grabbed her own bag. “I want to get whipped energon treats!”

“We’ll see what we can find.” Starscream smiled at his child.

They went out into the market, full of spices and colors. Bellatrix ran everywhere at once, occasionally bending over to pick something up, even crawling under the tables to pick up things and look at them before either discarding or pocketing them. The other shoppers thought she was adorable.

“Remember!” Starscream called after her. “If you find any more rocks, you have to throw away some of the ones you already have!”

“Awwww, Carrier, my rocks are special!” Bellatrix called back.

“They may be special, but you have a whole drawer full!”

“That’s not enough!” She called back.

“It will have to be.” Starscream responded firmly, ordering enough energon for the next month from a mech and signing for delivery within the hour.

Orion looked through a shelf full of second-hand paperbacks while Starscream showed the shopkeeper the ones they had finished with. Orion had become a voracious reader and board game enthusiast. If Bellatrix collected shiny things, Orion collected games of varying difficulties.

“Carrier? May we get this?” He showed Starscream a Risk box.

Starscream considered. “Certainly. Put it on the counter.”

After they had paid for the books, Orion stuck his nose in one and carried the bag containing the rest. Starscream rolled his optics and chuckled. “Don’t run into anyone.”

“I won’t.” Orion responded absently. 

Starscream chuckled and they continued their shopping trip.

Unbeknownst to them, red optics followed their every move.


	53. Lockdown

Lockdown was one of the most vicious and capable bounty hunters in the galaxy. He was famous for bringing in large bounties and dangerous mechs- Generally dead.

Starscream was a special case. Somehow the mech had managed to get a “bounty valid only if delivered alive” label attached to his name. That thinned the pool of hunters who would take it on somewhat.

Starscream’s brains and new skills in combat thinned that pool further. He had already taken out several mechs who had tried to bring him in. Generally, those had been fools and stumbled across Starscream on accident and by pure luck.

Lockdown had been tracing him for vorns. The bounty was worth it if he could manage.

In a straight-up fight, he had no idea if Starscream or he would triumph. He didn’t like those odds. The oldest mechling, Orion, was too smart to be snatched and the younger one, Bellatrix, too quick and cunning. Either one would see him or his associates a mile away and be gone like a shot. Their thrusters and wings would ensure they could get away more easily than his other targets.

And Orion had those null rays coming in. They wouldn’t be active soon, but Lockdown knew he carried an energon gun in his subspace and Starscream had taught him to use it well.

Starscream had put a lot of time and Shanix into training and upgrades. He kept a careful eye on his Sparklings and only recently began to let them out of his sight after they had proved themselves capable of getting away from attackers if need be.

Lockdown watched as Starscream called his wandering Seekerlet back from her explorations. The sticky-fingered little Seeker ran back to her Carrier at once and the family turned and went to the spaceport to transport their cargo. Little did they know that Knockout was keeping an optic on their location by slipping trackers into their cargoes as they loaded them.

Lockdown cast the beautiful Seeker and his brood a final glance and melted into the shadows. He could find them any time he wanted.


	54. Conquer the World

Starscream looked down at the Risk board. He had most of Asia, all of Africa, and Australia as well as various countries in Europ and North America. Orion had the rest of the map, but was being pressed back.

Orion frustratedly took off another few soldiers. “How do you keep doing that?”

Starscream laughed. “I know some dice tricks. I’ll teach you… after I win the game.”

“Carrier! Are you cheating?”

“Of course not, Orion, it’s a matter of knowing how dice fall if you knock them into the walls of the box the right way.” Starscream was glad that Skywarp had taught him all of his secrets when it came to dice games. They had landed him some very pretty credits once and were helping him gain success in world domination now.

“That’s not fair!”

Starscream waved a servo. “What do I say about fair?”

“Fair is what you make of it.” Orion groaned.

“Is there a rule against using statistics and mathematics to predict the dice?”

“No…”

“Then chalk it up to the fortunes of war.” Starscream chuckled. “Ural to Ukraine.” The dice fell, three perfect sixes.

Orion groaned and rolled his own.

“Thank you.” Starscream moved his horde. “And I will take my card.”

Orion grouched and handed over the world card. He took out his new men and fortified his positions, opting not to attack anywhere.

Starscream kissed his Sparkling’s helm when he won. “You may be the tycoon of monopoly, but I rule the World. Go on to bed, Orion. I’ll put this up.”

“Okay. Thanks, Carrier.” Orion yawned and kissed Starscream’s cheek.

“You’re welcome.” Starscream kissed his cheek and pushed him gently in the direction of his bed.

He cleaned up the Risk board and checked the common room over before going into the washracks to polish up before he went to recharge himself.


	55. Nanosnakes

Bellatrix arranged her collection into other shapes. She had all sorts of tiny trinkets from valueless beads to small gems. 

Rigel stared at her disapprovingly. “Shouldn’t steal. What if you get caught?”

“I’m not gonna get caught.”

Rigel’s placid and non-talkative façade was the result of sleep-deprivation from his insomnia and the fact that their Carrier was always giving him a little extra attention trying to coax him into speaking.

“What if you do?”

“Cry and say I’m sorry until they leave me alone.” Bellatrix flippantly replied.

“What if it doesn’t work?”

“Crying always worked.” Crying always did work. Bellatrix occasionally pretended to be lost and cried so that mechs around her would offer her sweets to make her calm down and help her “find” Orion again.

Orion always rolled his optics when she did this, thanked the kindly mechs and femmes who helped her, and told her she was a little nanosnake.

This was nearly a compliment by now.

Rigel shuttered his optics at her. “Energon crystal candy?”

“I already gave you a piece.”

“I want another.” Rigel told her.

“I’m not gonna give you another.”

“I’ll tell Carrier.”

“And let him know you can talk?”

Rigel knew she had him there. “Please?”

“No. Tomorrow.” Bellatrix pushed her collection back into their drawer and closed it. 

“Promise?”

“Promise.” Bellatrix lay back in her berth and shut off the lamp above her pillow.

Rigel sighed and went back to sucking his thumb, cuddling his blanket.


	56. Waking Up

In the morning, Starscream woke first. His Sparklings slept soundly. He sighed and got up and around, pouring five cubes of warm energon before going to wake his Sparklings. 

Orion woke when Starscream pressed a kiss to his helm. “Morning, Carrier.”

“Good morning, Orion. Did you recharge well?”

“Yes, Carrier. No bad memories.”

“Good. Get up and get some energon.”

“Yes, Carrier.” Orion kissed Starscream’s cheek.

Bellatrix was cuddling her light-up ball from so many vorns ago. Starscream wondered how much she remembered of their frightening and heart-breaking experience at Disney Galaxy. He gently picked up his little femme and cuddled her. “Wake up, Bella.”

Bellatrix sighed and stretched. Her optics blinked to full brightness. “Carrier?”

“Yes, Bella. Wake up, baby.”

“Carrier…” She curled into his chassis and fell back into recharge.

“No, Bella, it’s time to get up.” Starscream gently set her on her pedes and walked her towards the door.

Regulus woke with a little prodding and bounced out of bed to attack the day. Rigel whined and woke up crying. He never wanted to get up in the mornings.

Starscream slipped Rigel into his cockpit. The oldest triplet was the only one who hadn’t weened fully. Starscream feared it might be a symptom of his weaker spark though the doctor he went to when he could, Knockout, assured him Rigel was perfectly fine.

Starscream sighed and stroked Rigel in the cockpit. “My little spark-attack.”

Rigel grunted softly as he nursed, servos clawing for something to grip. Starscream placed his servo in reach and Rigel squeezed it.

“I love you, Rigel.” Starscream smiled. He loved all his babies.


	57. Desiree Will Not be Returning

Orion was watching the news when Starscream reached the main room.

“And in other news, intergalactic charitable figure, Desiree Cartwright, has died at age seventy-three. The midwife and founder of the Midwifery Anonymous foundation reportedly died ‘in saddle’ while aiding in the birth of triplet Cybertronians. All of the triplets survived, though it was touch and go for a bit, according to head midwife Metalhawk. Apparently, her heart gave out from the stress. Desiree’s close personal friend and business partner, Alara Maine, will be taking the lead in the foundation…” The news reporter continued to chatter.

Orion pointed to the picture of Desiree. “That’s Miss Desiree. She helped you give birth to us, didn’t she, Carrier?”

Starscream nodded, sighing heavily. “Organic lives are so short. She was a great human.”

Orion nodded. “She was really nice.”

Bellatrix looked in interest. “Who is she?”

“She was a very brave warrior who saved our lives once.” Starscream told his Seekerlet. “Drink your energon.”

“Yes, Carrier.” Bellatrix gripped her cube and began drinking.

Starscream sadly drank his own. Desiree was dead. He hadn’t seen her since she had bought the Starcutter from him, but she had left her mark. When his Sparklings were old enough, he would teach them Seeker history songs he had made about her.

His Sparklings picked up on his somber mood and Starscream found himself besieged by clingy and cuddly little sparklings. 

Regulus drew him a picture of them all flying, Starscream carrying Rigel on his back, over a rainbow. “Carrier!”

Starscream looked up from his cleaning and smiled. “That’s so pretty, Regulus. Thank you. Why don’t you go put it on the energon dispenser?”

“Yay!” Regulus tottled off. 

Rigel sleepily cuddled closer in Starscream’s cockpit. He was the only one who could still fit and it would be for much longer.

Orion helped out a little more than usual and Bellatrix settled to her daily lesson with only half the complaining of usual.

It was a peaceful, if sad day.


	58. Rememberance Ceremony

Optimus carried two bouquets in the palm of his servo as he watched the human service. Desiree’s will had stated: “If it can be done legally, just plant me in the ground somewhere. If not, have them burn me and forget the funeral.”

Technically, he had been informed, this was a rememberance ceremony.

He laid the two bouquets on the pedastel and turned away, walking off.

Prowl had come to pay his grudging respects as well. The human and Praxian had developed an antagonistic friendship after the semi incident. His 2IC respected her fighting spirit and generous personality and Desiree just wasn’t built to hold life-long grudges, even against mechs who were over-zealous about their jobs and attacked her patients.

His relationship with Starscream was known to his 2IC and 3IC both and they had accepted it. Prowl had approved of it as a strategic move. If Starscream had defected, they would have had a new army of highly trained air fighters.

Jazz had resented not being told. The betting pool he had mentioned had been going on since before they left Cybertron. He would have enjoyed putting in the vastly under-assumed “Optimus/Starscream” bet and taking away the pool much earlier. But he had warmed to the idea and begun to make his usual range of raunchy jokes. 

Optimus didn’t think they were funny, but it meant that Jazz was all right with his relationship, whatever it was at this point, so he tolerated it.

Starscream. He would have loved to be at the ceremony. Optimus had put an extra bouquet down for him, but it wouldn’t be the same for the Seeker.

Optimus had had a long time to think about his actions that night below the monorail and to regret them. He knew he had made the right choice in regards to his duty to his men and Cybertron, but where Starscream and their Sparkling were concerned, he couldn’t have been wronger.

He ex-vented heavily. If he had all to do over again, he didn’t know what he would do. He was torn between equally strong compulsions: To find his mate. To lead his men. To end the war. To leave and not return without a Seeker and four children. To stay. 

He sadly approached the groundbridge. With Desiree gone, Starscream had no reason whatsoever to return to Earth. He sincerely hoped he would see the Seeker again.


	59. Spider Tracker

Starscream inspected the cargo before they unloaded and found the device Lockdown had placed on it. Frowning, he pried it off the crate and examined it. An anti-pirate remote-activated tracking device? Or something sinister?

He brought it into the main room and set it on his desk, pulling out a tool kit. He began taking it apart, making sure to catalogue what parts went where as he worked inwards. There were no markings of manufacture or such, but there were four legs beneath the circuitry that appeared to be capable of moving the little device.

By some stroke of unbelievable luck, the legs had been crushed, probably while the crates were being packed. If this little nasty had been activated in his cargo hold, it would have climbed into the Novacutter’s wiring and been impossible to find.

Starscream finished his examination and crushed it. Breathing hard, he considered options. A bounty hunter tagging their ship. Another one who had seen Starscream and tagged him and his ship. He had dealt with hunters before. He could do it again. It would require some more caution. He would have Orion and Bellatrix stay in the cargo bay for a few trips, wait for someone to make a move. Then take them out of the picture.

It all sounded so simple in his processor.


	60. Captain Mariner

Orion chaffed at having to stay in the cargo bay, but nodded. “Yes, Carrier.”

Starscream hugged his oldest Sparkling. “I know it’s frustrating, but I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if one of you was hurt, kidnapped or worse”

“I know, Carrier. Gerroff.” Orion squirmed.

Starscream kissed his helm and released. “I love you, Orion.”

“I love you too. Come on, Bella. We can play hide and seek.” Orion told his sister while Starscream put his two mechlings into their sling and picked up his cargo manifest.

Bella was sulking in a corner. “No!”

“Come on, Bella.” Orion sighed deeply, taking his sister’s servo and dragging. “If you can find me, I’ll give you a Shanix to buy an energon sweet while we’re at the market.”

Bella seemed to perk slightly. “Okay!”

Starscream chuckled to himself as they rushed off and walked down into the cargo bay, opening up the bay doors.

“Captain Mariner?” The Dock Boss questioned as Starscream came into view.

“That’s me.” Starscream responded. “Here’s the manifest.”


	61. Predatory

Lockdown’s bright red optics followed “Captain Mariner” as he examined the new cargo. As Lockdown had expected, Starscream had found the dummy tracker and destroyed it. Fortunately, the second tracker had burrowed down into the ship’s astronavigation system with ease.

Knowing that he could find Starscream wherever he went, Lockdown decided to wait. The Seeker would relax his guard and there were other bounties to take in the meantime.

His eyes fixed on the mechlings on Starscream’s back and focused on the weaker one, Rigel.

And plans to consider…


	62. The Doctor is In

Time passed. Rigel weened off and Starscream discovered how much trouble his poor little Sparkling had getting to sleep. 

Knockout examined the tiny Sparkling carefully. “This is an interesting case, Mariner. Infant Insomnia, human’s call it.” 

“Is there anything I can give him to help?”

Knockout checked the Sparkling’s optics, thinking. “I could prescribe an energon additive, but I’d rather we find some natural way to conquer this. It won’t be fun for either of you for a bit, but it should be manageable.”

“I’ll try anything.” Starscream stroked Rigel’s wings as the Sparkling yawned. 

“Does he still fit in your cockpit?”

“Barely.” Starscream responded. Knockout had spotted that he was a Seeker from a mile away.

“Then you might try putting him in there and keeping him there at bedtime. In general, mechling’s processors are designed to shut down and go to recharge when they don’t have any stimulation. If it’s Empty Tank Syndrome, having a fuel line within easy reach can also help.”

“Empty Tank Syndrome?”

“Empty Tank Syndrome comes from a glitch in a young one’s processor that reads even a half-full tank as empty and forces the frame to remain awake. Now, little ones who have this can feel that their tanks are full, but their subconscious processor is convinced they’re near off-lining from hunger. It can be a frightening experience and it’s very difficult not to notice so I don’t think that’s what’s going on here.”

Starscream was glad Knockout had said that because his own tanks had begun to churn at the thought.

Knockout flashed the Seeker a comforting smile. “Don’t worry, Starscream. There’s no way you could miss a glitch like ETS. Sparklings with it make a lot more fuss when they can’t recharge and demand topping offs in the middle of the night. This is probably just a minor glitch to do with his circadian system.”

“So… I just hold him in my cockpit when it’s time to sleep?”

“You could try playing music to him as well. Enya always puts me to sleep. And I will give you a prescription to use if there’s no improvement in about a decacycle.” Knockout tapped one out and signed it with a stylus. “There. Fill it from any dispensery.”

“Thank you, Knockout.” Starscream accepted the prescription.

“You’re welcome. Come again.” Knockout smiled as they left.

Lockdown strode in next, smiling. “Hello, Doctor.”

“Ah… Lockdown, is it? Sit down and tell me what you need.” Knockout became visibly nervous.

Lockdown smiled, a horrible smile, and leaned forwards. “Well…”


	63. Mammon

More time passed, Bellatrix was the equivalent of twelve years old in human years and Orion was sixteen. Starscream’s two mechlings, Regulus and Rigel, were seven. Rigel was doing much better. His sleeping problems had vanished and he was acting just like a normal Sparkling. He still didn’t talk much and tired out much more quickly than his siblings, but it was expected. Regulus had become a rough and tumble little tank who enjoyed transforming and speeding about their ship pointing his stub-cannon at things and pretending to fire. He was still too young for the cannon to work, so Starscream allowed it.

Orion, on the other hand, had fully operational null rays on his arms and was getting better at using them. Starscream took him target shooting at space junk when he dared. His eldest was also practicing Krav Maga and though he wasn’t as physically strong as his Carrier yet, he was getting there.

Bellatrix was showing signs of becoming a little siren when she grew up a bit more. She had reached the Cybertronian version of puberty and her curves were coming in.

Orion and his little sister were close to each other as were Regulus and Rigel. Bellatrix and Orion often took half of the shopping list and wandered off alone into the market often returning with the prescribed items and more besides. Bellatrix was unafraid to use her charming pout to her advantage. 

Starscream always watched them run off with some trepidation. They were his Sparklings, he would never be used to seeing them growing up, but he knew that to learn to fly, they had to spread their wings.

Speaking of growing up, his shanix stash had nearly doubled and he had had to buy a second strong box to contain it all. There had been enough to start buying an interest in his cargoes, garnering him more profits and freedoms from each haul until he was buying cargoes from suppliers and hauling them wherever he thought he could get the best price.

They were going to be more than okay, at this rate he would be able to afford to send all four Sparklings to university. He, Orion and Bellatrix had discussed it and agreed that the best thing to do would be to send them all at once so they could look after each other. It meant that Orion and Bellatrix would be significantly older than other students, but there was no harm in that. He would keep his babies closer for longer.

Their newest cargo was crystal energon. The rare form of natural energon was considered a treat and a luxury by most Cybertronians so it was still mined in spite of solar converters being cheaper and more efficient. 

Crystal energon was packed in much smaller crates than normal. They were about a quarter of the size of the huge shipping crates. Orion and Starscream were easily capable of packing them themselves and had cut out the dock boss and his men. If Starscream played his cards right and delivered the cargo within a week, it could be their most profitable yet.

Even Bellatrix leant her young servos to the work occasionally. She was in charge of watching her brothers, but the two mechlings were playing at “baby games” and she took to working occasionally to amuse herself. 

The port they were in, Mamon, was richer than other ports they frequented and Bellatrix was eager to load their cargo, lock the ship, and run out into the open port market for the afternoon. 

Starscream watched over all four of his Sparklings with careful optics. Mamon was not the safest port for children, but Orion could handle his sister and himself and Starscream had been there before. Neither Autobots nor Decepticons were welcome. They would be safe from those who would recognize their faces and paint colors.


	64. Hydrorat

Mammon was wealthy, but ignorant where hygiene was concerned. Starscream made sure to tell his adventurous Sparklings to stay on the clean and clear streets and not to go near any piles of refuse they might see. Pointedly, to Bellatrix “No matter how shiny something is.”

He kept Regulus and Rigel on baby leads as he haggled with a merchant over the price of energon for another month.

Suddenly, Rigel cried out and ran to his Carrier’s side, clutching a servo. “Carrier! A hydrorat bit me!”

Starscream knelt beside his Sparkling and gently examined the wound. “My poor little spark-attack. It doesn’t look bad.” He looked up at the shopkeep. “Do you have an aid kit?”

The femme nodded and disappeared into her shadowed stall, returning with white spirit and, wonder of wonders, a sealed med-pack.

Starscream finished their bargain in between cooing over Rigel and cleaning the bite. Rigel rubbed his optics with the unwounded servo, coolant leaking out of his eyes.

As soon as the servo was bandaged, Starscream went to a “sweetmeat” seller and bought Rigel a chewy apricot energon treat to take his mind off of the rat bite. 

Regulus transformed into his tank mode and offered to carry Rigel for the rest of the trip. The smaller sparkling’s coolant tears dried up at the treat and offered ride. “Okay!”

Starscream chuckled as his sparkling climbed on top of the sweet little tank and they continued trundling through the market.


	65. Antiviral

The hydrorat bite didn’t heal like it should. Starscream worried over the tender plating, noticing that it seemed to be swollen and was leaking corrupted energon.

Nothing for it: They had to go see Knockout. Fortunately, they were in the area.

Knockout worried over the bite while Starscream bartered his cargo for a more shelf-stable one with another shipyard mech. Crystal energon was unstable and he had to get rid of it before it would lose its value.

When he returned, Orion was sitting in Knockout’s living room. The mech did his examinations and operations in a clean room in his home. 

“How bad is it?” Starscream asked.

“Rigel was freaking out and wouldn’t let Knockout look at his servo, so Knockout gave him something to make him recharge so he could fix it.” Orion responded.

Starscream worried at his glossa. “I should have been here.”

Orion hugged his Carrier. “You had to sell the crystal stuff, Carrier. No one can blame you. Rigel will be really glad to see you when he wakes up, though.”

“Speak of the Unmaker. Here we are, Mariner.” Knockout walked out of the clean room with Rigel in his arms. “He’s going to be fine. It was a particularly nasty little infection, but I’ve lanced and cleaned the area and this is a prescription for an antivirus to make sure it doesn’t come back.” He handed Starscream a copy. “Get this filled and slip him a quarter cup a day until it runs out. I’d suggest putting it in frozen energon: It doesn’t taste good.”

“Thank you, doctor.” Starscream cuddled his baby. “I’ll do that.”

“You’re welcome.” Knockout smiled, looking shaky. “Come again for innoculations in a quarter vorn, remember.”

“We will. Thank you.” Starscream paid Knockout for his services and he and Orion headed back to the ship. Leaving Bellatrix in charge for extended periods of time was a recipe for disaster.


	66. Knockout's Dealings

Knockout turned, looking back towards the berthroom. “You can come out now, he’s gone.”

Lockdown appeared in the door. “Good job, Doctor.”

“Just get out. I never want to see you again.” Knockout shook harder. “I gave him the virus. Leave me alone.”

Lockdown chuckled and patted Knockout’s shoulder. “Worry not, Doctor. There will be no harm in the end. You’re reuniting a family. Shouldn’t you be proud?”

“I’ve worked for millennia to put my past behind me. Now get out of my home.” Knockout growled softly.

Lockdown simply patted his shoulderplate again and left.


	67. Mess

Bellatrix and Regulus had decided it would be a marvelous idea to attempt to make energon dacquoise while Starscream was out.

This was not a marvelous idea. Not at all.

Starscream sighed. The remains of his daughter’s creation were congealing in the heater. He and Bellatrix were scrubbing at drying pectinized energon all down the cabinet fronts. Regulus had become overzealous in his beating of the icing.

Bellatrix scraped off another tiny patch. There was a second reason Starscream rarely made dacquoise: it was Pit to clean.

He just couldn’t understand why Bellatrix would make energon dacquoise when the sweet jar was still full of exotic sweetmeats from their stop at Mammon.

Sighing deeply, he checked the chrono. “Bedtime, Bella. Go to sleep.”

Bellatrix looked around the still-messy kitchen. “Yes, Carrier.”

Starscream didn’t say good night. His glossa was clamped and tight with helpless anger.

Well. Perhaps it would taste sweet enough to hide the flavor of Rigel’s medicine.


	68. Mammon's Trap

Mammon seemed to call them back like a siren’s song. Starscream grudgingly added it to an increasing list of frequented ports. The sun, the air, and the high prices for everything from silk berth sheets to gilt alloy kept him coming back.

Not to mention that his Sparklings always found Mammon’s market delightful.

Even Rigel perked up when they arrived. Ever since the Sparkling had started his course of antivirals, he had been especially quiet and sleepy but irritable when disturbed. Starscream had chalked it up to the medicine doing its work and simply allowed Rigel to sleep in a large, padded chair where he could easily check on his baby.

Now, Rigel was straining at the baby lead every which way and staring about with bright optics. 

Starscream chuckled and finally unclipped Rigel and Regulus’s harnesses. “You two stay close now. Remember what happened last time we were here.”

“We will Carrier!” Regulus called back and raced with Rigel across the street, presumably to stare at the colorful array of sweets on display there.

Starscream watched them for a long moment before turning back to the merchant and continuing to barter about a price for his cargo. “Fifty Shanix a foot is base robbery and you know it. Who do you think you are dealing with here?” 

They settled on seventy shanix a foot and Starscream walked across the dusty street to where a purple sparkling was gazing with longing at a filled “crunchy” capsule. “Regulus, where’s Rigel?”

The sparkling looked up in surprise and Starscream took a step back. “You’re not Regulus! Where are my children?”

The sweetmeat vendor handed the sparkling a capsule, accepting shanix in return, and stared at Starscream. “The two Sparklings that were here a few moments ago? They went off down that way.” She pointed.

“And you didn’t think to stop them?!” Starscream screeched.

“What business is it of mine?” She questioned the angry Seeker mech.

“What business is it indeed!” Starscream huffed and commed Orion.


	69. Bellatrix's List

Orion watched Bellatrix wheedling with a shopkeep over the price of a length of silk when the comm came in. “Carrier?”

“Regulus and Rigel have given me the slip. I’m going to look for them. Go back to the Novacutter and wait there in case they come home.” Starscream’s voice was just on the wrong side of frightened and Orion nodded. 

“Yes, Carrier. Bella and I will get there at once.” He closed the comm and turned to find Bella smirking over her prize. Doubtless the bundle of silks she had bartered for was lined with goods the merchant would have bartered harder for if they weren’t wrapped in such a common covering. “Rigel and Regulus are missing.”

Bellatrix rolled her optics. “Has Carrier tried the nearest sweetmeat stand?”

“Carrier sounded terrified: I would assume he did.” Orion snapped at his sister. “We’re going back to the ship to wait and see if they come back.”

“Ugh!” Bellatrix looked around. “We’re only halfway through the List and we have to go back to the ship!”

“We have all of the things Carrier asked for.” Orion reminded her as he started for the ship. 

“That wasn’t what I was talking about.” Bella followed begrudgingly. 

“I know what you meant and it’s not important.”

“It’s very important!” She insisted, activating the magnets in her servos in the general direction of a dropped shanix. It snapped into her hand. 

The magnets were a recent development, one that Bellatrix wasn’t particularly eager for her Carrier to find out about. They were useful for her hobbies.

“No, it isn’t. Regulus and Rigel are more important.”

She rolled her optics again. “Carrier is panicking over nothing!”

“When has Carrier ever panicked without good reason?”

Bellatrix gave her older brother a sardonic look. “Just one more stop.”

Orion sighed and pinched his nasal vent. “Make it quick.”


	70. Ambush

Orion and Bellatrix arrived back at the hangar where the Novacutter waited only to find it deserted. With a sigh, Orion settled on a crate and handed Bellatrix the bags. “Take these in. I’ll keep watch.”

Bellatrix complained, of course, but Orion had learned to turn off his audials when she did. 

Finally, she hefted the bags and walked up the access ramp, muttering to herself.

With his audials turned off, Orion didn’t notice when two strong mechs came up from behind and jumped him.

That didn’t mean he didn’t fight like Pit, though.

He punched one in the faceplates and fired his null rays at the other. Blasting off with his jets, he got into the air and fired a straffing pattern at both at once. The mechs scattered, taking cover and returning fire.

Orion had inherited Starscream’s speed and aerial agility. He dodged the bolts and returned fire.

“That’s quite enough.” A cold, hard voice came from near the Novacutter. “Come down and deactivate those nasty little null rays or your sister will be needing a new processor.”

Orion’s energon went cold. “You let my sister go!”

“Come down and deactivate your null rays.” The voice responded.

Orion cursed under his breath, his Carrier would have washed out his vocalizer with solvent, and landed, powering down his null rays. Beneath one of the Novacutter’s wings, a spiked mech with a hook instead of a servo was holding an energon blade to Bellatrix’s neck cables. The usually spunky femme was trembling in fright. “All right, you’ve got me.”

“Cuff him.” Lockdown ordered. “Take them both back to the ship.” He tossed Bellatrix to one of the mechs who had jumped Orion.

Orion tried to struggle against the stasis cuffs, but his Carrier hadn’t gotten around to those particular lessons yet. “When my Carrier gets here, he’ll make you pay for this.” He growled at Lockdown.

“Oh, my dear little Sparkling.” Lockdown caressed his cheekplates with his hook. “I’m counting on it.”


	71. Knockout's Deserts

Starscream searched down alleys for his two littlest Sparklings with a sinking spark. Mammon was huge and crowded and his babies were so small. How was he going to find them?

His comm chirped suddenly. Picking up, Starscream hoped it was Orion comming to tell him that Rigel and Regulus had appeared at the ship. “Hello?”

Knockout’s voice answered. “I’m sorry, Starscream.”

Starscream’s energon went cold. “What are you talking about, Knockout?”

“Don’t ask me how I know who you really are! Look, I’ve done something awful and I need to warn you: You’re being hunted. You have been for vorns. And I- I didn’t want to, I swear! But he made me help him.”

“You’re not making sense, Knockout.”

“Yes, the point. Get to the point, Knockout!” Knockout didn’t sound well or stable. “Your Sparkling, Rigel, has a tracker planted on him. He’s also been affected with a mind-controlling virus. Now, there’s a remote control and he has it. You have to destroy the control if you want to free Rigel.”

“How do you know this?”

“Because I planted the tracker and gave him the virus. I’m sorry, Starscream! I didn’t want to!”

“It doesn’t matter now.” It DID matter and there WOULD be an accounting. “What frequency is the tracker?”

Knockout rattled it off. “Be careful, Starscream, or he’ll get you too!”

“Who, Knockout? You tell me right now or so help me Primus-“

“Lockdown.” There was an ominous click and Knockout screamed.

“Knockout?” Starscream slapped his comm. “Knockout, what’s happening?”

Knockout continued screaming until he suddenly stopped. Starscream closed the comm carefully and stared ahead for a moment, not seeing. “I think I need to find another pediatrician.”


	72. Lockdown's Leverage

Tapping into the tracking signal, Starscream found Rigel in the farthest corner of the market from the bay where the Novacutter rested. His Sparkling was lying on his side in an alley and Starscream’s spark nearly stopped. “Rigel!” 

Rigel twitched towards his carrier and Starscream rushed forwards, scooping him up in his arms and cuddling him to his spark chamber. Worriedly, he noticed that Rigel’s temperature was too high. His poor baby was over-heating. Rigel’s servo relaxed and dropped a two-way comm into Starscream’s.

Starscream’s tanks churned as he considered the comm. Putting it to his audial, he started for the Novacutter. “Who is this?”

“Why hello, Starscream! So nice to talk to you again.” Lockdown’s deep voice filled Starscream’s audials.

“Lockdown.”

“So, Knockout talked at last. I was worried I would have to prompt him for you to find Rigel in time.”

“What have you done to him?”

“First things first. I have your other three Sparklings. They’re all safe, worry not… for now.”

“You wouldn’t dare.” Starscream hissed. “Even if you catch me, if you harm a plate on those sparkling’s heads, the bounty will be null void.”

“Mmm. Perhaps for Regulus or this pretty little turbovixen. But I don’t think mighty Megatron particularly cares about this handsome mechling.” There was a grunted snarl and Starscream’s spark lurched. Orion. “I do wonder where he’s getting this facemask from. It’s just coming in. Do you know, Starscream? Or are the rumors true and you’ll frag anyone with a spike?”

Orion was growing a facemask? That was news to be celebrated at a later time. Starscream hissed. “Don’t you touch my sparkling. If you so much as dent him, I’ll rip you to pieces.”

“Brave words, Screamer. Is this the cowardly Decepticon second or someone else? I won’t touch your Sparkling, if you make it to our rendezvous in time. If not, well… you know how impatient I can be.”

Starscream hissed. “What are the coordinates?”

“They’re already in your navicomputer. Be there in two cycles or you won’t like the condition Orion is in when you do arrive. Further, you’ll find that Rigel’s fever is not something a doctor can control.”

“What have you done to Rigel?” Starscream hissed. “If Megatron-“

“Megatron doesn’t care about your little Spark-Attack.” Lockdown responded. “He has no patience for weakness, you know this.” There was a sound like his hook scraping over a metal table. “I have simply shut down a few of his coolant lines. More will shut off the longer you take to get to the coordinates until your little Spark-Attack has one.”

Starscream hissed through clenched dentas. “You’re a monster, Lockdown.”

“Am I? Perhaps. Two cycles, Starscream. I hope you make it: I really do. I think I can wheedle a nice bonus out of Lord Megatron if I bring in all four of them.” The comm went dead. Starscream threw it to the ground and stomped on it with vitriol. Threaten his sparklings? Lockdown was a dead mech.

He just didn’t know it yet.


	73. Inside the Cavea

Orion and Bellatrix were tossed into the brig of Lockdown’s ship: The Cavea. The Cage.

“We’re going to be okay, Bella.” Orion comforted his frightened sister, wondering where Lockdown had put Regulus.

“What if Carrier doesn’t come? What if Lockdown kills him?” Bella’s optics were streaming coolant.

“He has to bring in Carrier alive if he wants to collect the bounty. I heard one of his henchmen talking about it.” Orion achingly stretched out an arm and pulled Bellatrix against him. “Don’t be afraid. Carrier will get us out of here. He’s smart.”

“He’s not smart enough for this!” Bellatrix sobbed into her brother’s shoulder. “I was listening in to them too, and Lockdown’s been planning this for vorns!”

“And Carrier has been dodging badmechs for the same length of time, you know that.” Orion soothed. “He’ll be here soon and when he gets here, Lockdown will wish he’d never been sparked.”

One of the guards outside their cell chuckled. “I like spirit in younglings, but it’s misplaced in this case. You’d be better off relaxing and just waiting. You’ll all be with your parents soon enough.”

Orion bristled. “Shut up!”

The mech laughed again and quieted.

Orion went back to soothing Bellatrix. “We’re going to be okay, Bella. You’ll see.”

Bella sobbed herself to recharge and Orion looked around their cell, taking note of every feature, especially the forcefield trapping them inside it.

There was always a way to get out.


	74. Rallying Cry

Starscream took the Novacutter out of the hangar and went to lightspeed as soon as possible. He was grateful that the merchant had collected the cargo and paid early, though the shanix hardly mattered anymore. Running a coolant bath, he settled Rigel’s limp body into it and used strapping to create a makeshift support to keep him from falling below the surface and drowning.

Running a scan on his Sparkling, he found that Rigel was burning energon at an alarming rate and ran to get him a new cube, pouring it down the sparkling’s throat.

Rigel began to fuss, coming back to himself, and lifted his little servos towards his Carrier. “Carrier! Carrier!”

Starscram soothed him, rubbing his chassis. “I’ll be right back, my little Spark-Attack. I have to make a call and I’ll be right back.”

Rigel broke out into the most pitiful sobs and tugged on his make-shift harness. “Carrier!”

Starscream kissed his helm and straightened. “I’ll be right back.”

Optics streaming, Starscream ran to the cockpit and punched in a comm frequency. “Please pick up. Please pick up. Please-“

Optimus Prime’s faceplates filled the screen. “Starscream?”

“Optimus. I need your help.”


	75. Regulus's Plan

Regulus was having fun. The little tank mech had been loosed in Lockdown’s med-bay for the medic to deal with.

Lockdown didn’t want him to risk electrocution against the forcefields in the brig. Megatron wouldn’t care about Orion or Rigel if something happened to them, but Regulus and Bellatrix were different matters entirely. Mighty Megatron would be very displeased if something should harm the vivacious seeker or massive tank-former.

Regulus giggled, waving the tool he had been given to play with. He was playing dumb and knew it, but it was working. The medic was almost entirely ignoring him. So far, he had stolen two laser scalpels and a bottle of acid. He would slip the forceps into his subspace next and then get into the vents.

He had been a busy little mech: It wasn’t easy to loosen screws with forceps.


	76. Starscream and Optimus

Suddenly exhausted, Starscream sighed, sinking into the pilot’s chair. “I can’t talk long, Rigel is sick and I need to tend him. Just listen to me and don’t interrupt.”

Optimus sank into his own chair. “All right.”

“Lockdown has my Sparklings. He decided that it wouldn’t be worth it to take me in a fight, so he kidnapped them to make me cooperate. Don’t interrupt!” He warned, Optimus closing his vocalizer quickly. “I’m going to send you a set of coordinates. It’s my rendezvous with Lockdown. Your first instinct is going to be to come in all guns blazing: Don’t. There’s no way for you to reach the rendezvous in time. You have to cut Lockdown off and use Omega Supreme to pull him out of lightspeed before he reaches the Vega system.”

“Why the Vega system?” Optimus was scribbling notes on a datapad. 

“That’s where Megatron holds his annual court to take care of civilian Decepticon business. Lockdown will go there to ensure that he gets his bounty in full at once.”

“So, we cut him off before he reaches Decepticon territory and Omega Supreme pulls the Cavea out of lightspeed. Then, what?”

“Offer to pay him more, send a boarding crew, I don’t know, Optimus. I can’t think right now.” Starscream rubbed his helm. “I just can’t.”

Optimus nodded. “We’ll be there, Starscream. Don’t worry.”

Irritation flashed across Starscream’s optics. “Don’t you dare tell me not to worry!” He cut the call and stood up, going back to Rigel.

Rigel’s sobs intensified when Starscream came back in and he continued to struggle against the harness, lifting his arms to be picked up.

Starscream climbed into the coolant bath, hissing at the cold liquid, and held his Sparkling to his spark chamber. “My poor little Spark-Attack. It doesn’t feel good, does it? You’re going to be okay. Shh…” He began singing Seeker lullabies to his sick sparkling and felt Rigel’s spark beat slowly calm to a pattering thrum.


	77. Prowl's Objection

Optimus reached for the screen to stop the impulsive Seeker from cutting the communication and groaned. He had never been good at predicting Starscream’s emotions or reactions to situations. The Seeker had a processor that ran a lightyear a minute and his mercurial emotions matched. It made for a tempestuous and tantalizing mix.

He stood up and grabbed Prowl, Jazz, Ratchet, and Blurr. A terse explanation to Prowl and they were boarding Omega Supreme and in lightspeed in the general direction of Decepticon territory. Once there, Prowl began an analysis of the situation.

“There are too many variables.” He finally looked up at Optimus. “We’re assuming that Lockdown will take a direct route to the Vega system and not need to stop for fuel or other supplies. We’re also assuming that Megatron will not launch the Nemisis and rendezvous with Lockdown somewhere closer to the coordinates Starscream has given us.”

“Can you eliminate some of the variables?”

“I can speculate, but without more data, I cannot even begin to attempt to create a more solid plan.” 

Optimus sighed in frustration. “I’ve waited over thirty vorns to hear from Starscream again: I will not let him slip between my servos again.”

Prowl and Jazz exchanged looks. Jazz sat back in his chair. “Ah don’ think it’d be too wise to plan on Screamer being willing to come back, Prime. Haven’ we ridden this pony before?”

Optimus’s spark lurched at the memory of the day beneath the monorail. As usual, Starscream had asked for everything and he had only been able to offer half. Being the Matrix-bearer was a harder job than any Cybertronian could imagine.


	78. The Remote

Regulus trundled over to the medic. “Want a snack!”

“I’m busy, Munchie.” The medic, who wasn’t a bad mech at spark, looked up. “I can get you a snack in a klick.”

“Want a snack now!” Regulus pouted.

“Just a klick, Munchie.” The medic continued working on the reports he was running.

Regulus opened his vocalizer and began bawling. The medic sighed. “I’ll get you a snack. Don’t worry, Munchie. Just stay right there and don’t touch anything!” He rushed out towards the galley and Regulus immediately stopped his tears.

Grown mechs were so stupid.

He grabbed a jar of crystal energon candy that he knew Bellatrix would appreciate and emptied it into his subspace before running for the vents and climbing in. 

After wandering for a breem, and listening to other mechs searching for him, he ended up in the brig cell where Orion and Bellatrix were kept. He scraped his paint off pushing his way out of the vent, but it was worth it to see his big brother and sister’s looks of shock when he fell onto the berth.

“Regulus!” Bellatrix ran to him immediately and Orion wasn’t far behind. “Are you okay?”

Regulus giggled, keeping up the dumb Sparkling act. “I’m okay. Look!” He reached into his subspace and showed Bellatrix a handful of the candy.

Bellatrix shot him a look of glee. The mech on guard duty laughed and turned away from them to comm the rest. Bellatrix’s magnets worked quickly and she stuffed the items Regulus had squirrelled away into Orion’s and her subspaces, leaving only the forceps. The best way to get away with stealing some items: If you knew you were going to be caught, make them think you only had half of what you did.

Lockdown stomped into the brig and he deactivated the forcefield. Grabbing Regulus, he reached into the little one’s supspace and found the forceps and more energon candy. Behind him, the medic came in looking relieved. “He must have taken them while I was getting his snack. What a clever little mech!”

Lockdown gave Regulus a suspicious look, handing the forceps back to the medic. “Clever. Clever enough to know to stay away from the forcefield then. He’s staying here.”

Orion and Bellatrix quailed as Lockdown’s optics nailed them. He was suspicious, but didn’t search them. Instead, he reached into his own subspace and pulled out a small device with several buttons on it. “Do you know what this is?”

Orion studied it. “A remote. Gonna make us watch holoshows? Anything but MASH!” He snarked.

“Very funny.” Lockdown smirked. “This is indeed a remote, but it’s not for the holoviewer. This remote is for your brother, Rigel.”

Orion’s intake fell open.

“If you make any trouble for me, I’m afraid it won’t be you suffering.”

“You’re lying! Nothing can do that!” Orion snarled.

Bellatrix hissed. “Can it?”

“I assure you it can. See this dial? This controls his coolant flow. Notice that it isn’t at the optimal position. Every time you and your siblings try to make trouble for me, I’ll turn it down a little more. At some point, and I’m not sure where, Rigel will overheat and have a nice little spark attack. Wouldn’t you hate for that to happen?”

Orion growled. “You’ll pay for this, Lockdown. I’m going to rip your upgrades off with my bare servos if I have to.”

“Brave words, Sparkling. Bear this little dial in mind.” Lockdown turned away, re-subspacing the remote.

Orion and Bellatrix scowled after him. This was a complication neither had expected.


	79. Into the Belly of the Beast

Starscream arrived at the rendezvous to find the Cavea already there. Lockdown’s ship was massive. The Novacutter looked like a shuttle next to it and Starscream felt like the stuffing in a particularly tasty hors’deurve as the ship’s hangar bay swallowed them. 

Rigel’s fever had been soothed by near-constant coolant baths. Starscream carefully lifted his tiny Sparkling out of the bath and wrapped him in a towel to dry him off. With his null rays deactivated, he walked out of the Novacutter and into the belly of the beast.

Lockdown greeted him along with three rough-and-tumble mechs. Brigands all. “Ah, Starscream. How good of you to join us. You look… very oceanic.”

“That was the idea. Now restore Rigel’s coolant lines.” Starscream shot back. “That was the agreement.”

“I will restore little Rigel as soon as you are safely locked up in my brig and not a klick before. Come this way, Starscream.” Lockdown beckoned the Seeker down the halls and to the brig.

“Carrier!” Orion spotted Starscream first and rushed to the forcefield. Bellatrix and Regulus soon joined him.

“Sweetsparks!” Starscream called back and rushed to them. “Are you all right? Are you hurt?”

“No, no one’s hurt.” Orion told Starscream. “Are you okay? How’s Rigel?”

“Rigel is going to be fine.” Starscream told them. “We’re all going to be fine.” Whirling on Lockdown, he demanded. “I want to be with my Sparklings.”

“You’ll be with them.” Lockdown opened the forcefield and gestured with one servo. “I wouldn’t dream of separating your family.”

Starscream glared at the bounty hunter as he stepped in. Regulus attached himself to a leg and refused to let go as the forcefield went up again.

“I am a mech of my word.” Lockdown pulled out the remote and turned the coolant dial back up. “Just remember what will happen if you cross me.”

Starscream growled at him and hugged Rigel closer. “You’ll pay for this, Lockdown. I assure you.”

“Oh, I intend to be paid very well for this.” The mech smirked. “Enjoy your reunion.” He turned and strode out of the brig, almost swaggering.


	80. Auction

Lockdown was ambitious and wealthy. Nearly wealthy enough to retire and spend the rest of his life with pretty femmes and rich high grade.

That didn’t mean he wasn’t going to wring this deal for all it was worth. Fifteen million shanix for Starscream alone was a very nice payday, but if he could get anything more, he would.

Megatron probably wouldn’t pay much for Orion and Rigel, but Lockdown was neither blind nor stupid and he could see the resemblance to the leader of the Autobots in Orion. Perhaps Megatron wouldn’t fork it out for the mechling, but he imagined that Optimus would and would probably take Rigel as well for a neat little bonus. Soft-sparked Autobot. Who knew? He might even convince his Autobots to allow him to outbid Megatron on the package deal.

With that in mind, he decided to up the ante. He typed out a terse note to both factions’s commanders and invited them to a bounty auction near a nebula. All five members of Starscream’s little family were listed by lot with beginning bids next to them. 

Then, he sat back to wait.


	81. Plots and Plans

Starscream and his two oldest Sparklings discussed their next move. They all agreed on one thing: They had to get that remote away from Lockdown and destroy it before he could hurt Rigel more.

Rigel was very relieved to be free of the remote’s effects for the moment and had played boisterously with his tank-forming brother before both young ones fell into recharge.

Bellatrix slipped her Carrier the vial of acid Regulus had brought and Starscream, who had two subspaces, gave them both energon blades for when they made their move. He also pulled out a pair of stasis cuffs and a metal spike. With quiet words, he explained the dynamics of a forcefield and how to short it out.

“If I know Lockdown, Orion, he’s going to contact your Creator and try to ransom you to him. Optimus will pay more than Megatron will. When he takes me to hand me over to Megatron, I want you to short the forcefield and get out of the brig. Wait for my signal, though. I’ll give you three bursts when I have the remote.” How he was going to get the remote was anymech’s guess.


	82. Prowl's Optimism

When they received Lockdown’s communiqe, Prowl’s mood improved. “Lockdown’s arrogance is going to call down trouble on his head. Megatron has gone to great lengths to get Starscream back. He won’t allow Lockdown to cheat him of his prize now.”

“And this is a good thing, how?” Optimus questioned.

“Starscream is a very intelligent and resourceful mech. If Megatron provides an opportunity, he will wiggle out of Lockdown’s grip. Our situation could be solved without risk.”

“Or it could be made three times worse!” Optimus paced, needing the movement.

“Indeed.” Prowl nevertheless continued to be optimistic.


	83. Wrench in the Works

Starscream and his sparklings looked up when Lockdown entered the brig. “You’re coming with me.” Starscream half-rose. “Not you.” Pointing to Orion, he commanded, “You come with me.”

“What?!” Starscream gasped.

“Orion is lot number One. I suggest you stay still and remember that I still have this.” He flashed the remote at Starscream and the Seeker hissed.

Orion put a hand on his Carrier’s shoulderplate, feeling the tension there. “It’s going to be okay, Carrier.”

Still, he had the dreadful feeling that nothing was going to be “okay.” He was carrying the cuffs and metal spike that were so important to Starscream’s breakout plan.

Starscream squeezed his servo. “Be brave, Orion.”

Orion nodded and kissed Starscream’s cheekplate before following Lockdown.

Starscream’s optics flashed at the bounty hunter’s retreating back, processor racing. The only plan he could come up with was extremely risky, but it was their only chance of getting out alive and with their family intact.


	84. Lot One

Optimus’s spark nearly stopped when Lockdown dragged Orion into the camera feed. His son had grown into such a handsome young mech.

Orion was struggling against his captor slightly, but at a flash of something inside Lockdown’s servo, he quieted.

Prowl and Jazz had deployed Mirage and a small booster pack to invade the Cavea and prepare for an assault on the hunter frigate. They could safely assume Megatron was planning something similar. This wasn’t the first bounty auction Lockdown had used, but it was the only one he had been baiting out the Autobots and Decepticons on.

Suddenly, all power in Lockdown’s ship went out. Optimus leapt to his feet and ordered Prowl to bring Omega Supreme closer while their sensors were blind. The Nemesis was also moving in.


	85. Three Sparklings

Regulus watched the acid melting away the power couplings from inside the vents. After his Carrier had tricked the guard mech into opening the force field, he had directed Regulus to the main reactors to perform the sabotage. Now, he began crawling back along the vents, checking the rooms he passed with his night vision, a gift from his Creator.

Bellatrix brandished her energon blade in the darkness, listening hard for any pede-steps. Beside her, Starscream’s venting came short and harsh in the darkness. He had Rigel strapped to his back and his wings tucked in. In short, he was ready for anything.

Orion kicked his captor in the shins and snatched the remote from Lockdown, running into the corridors. Lockdown would be quick to pursue and he needed to hide before someone fixed whatever it was his Carrier had done to the power.


	86. Never Again

Starscream hated stumbling through the dark. He had no idea where he was and was moving based on his hearing and sense of touch. Neither was fun nor foolproof.

To prove his point, he stubbed his pede against another obstacle in the darkness and swallowed his curse.

Moving carefully, they maneuvered further and further. Suddenly, red emergency lighting snapped on and Starscream began running. With their comms still silent, there was no way to know if Lockdown had fiddled some dial on his fiendish remote and poor Rigel was doomed.

Starscream fully admitted to himself that this was a bad plan. That it had been one from the beginning. Still, he pressed on. It was a bad plan, it could fail so badly, but it was the only plan they had.

Bellatrix could barely keep up with her running Carrier. Starscream reached back and took her servo, pulling her along. They were not going to be separated: Never again.


	87. Orion's First Three

Orion wandered through the dimly-lit corridors in the general direction of the hangar, listening hard. There were loud pede-steps ahead of him, marching like soldiers.

He turned a corner and found himself facing three vehicons. Automatically, without thought, he aimed his null rays and opened fire.

Regulus heard the noises in the vents and identified them as null rays. Quickly, he began crawling towards them.

Orion stood, tensed, over the collapsed forms of three vehicons. They were riddled with holes and covered in burned and warped plating. His null rays had been set to lethal.

Suddenly, thumps in the ventilation system rang out as something quick-crawled towards him. Orion raised his null rays and aimed for the approaching thing.


	88. Lockdown VS Megatron

Lockdown found Megatron before the warlord found him. At the moment, the bounty hunter wasn’t sure if that was a blessing or curse. 

The tank-former finally caught sight of him and leveled his cannon.

“Well, slag.” Lockdown almost sighed before dodging the blasts Megatron fired off.


	89. It was Regulus

Regulus fell out of the vents at Orion’s pedes. “Orion!”

“Regulus?” Orion put away his null-rays and picked his younger brother up. “Where have you been?”

“I dropped acid on the power.” Regulus chirped. Then, he caught sight of the destroyed Vehicon’s and his expression became somber.

Orion shuddered as he looked at the deactivated mechs. “It’s dangerous out here. We’re going back to the Novacutter. Come on, Regulus.” He took his brother’s servo and led him away.


	90. This Would Be Such a Magical Moment...

Starscream and Bellatrix ran into an open space and Starscream braked so hard that he fell forwards on his faceplates. Megatron and Lockdown were duking it out in grand style.

Both mechs looked up when Starscream came in. Megatron recovered first, blasting Lockdown through the spark chamber, and approached Bellatrix, who had kept her feet, while Starscream cooed over a crying Rigel and leveled a null ray at the Decepticon leader.

Bellatrix and Megatron stared at each other. Then, Bellatrix stepped forwards. “Creator?” She questioned the much larger mech.

Megatron bent and took her chin in a gentle servo. “You’re mine…” He murmured. “How beautiful. So you can do something right, Starscream. Even if I had to help.”

Starscream kept his null ray on Megatron. “Bellatrix, get away from him.”

Bellatrix looked hypnotized as she reached up towards Megatron and let him pick her up. “Creator…” She melted into his arms.

Starscream looked flabbergasted and lowered his null ray slightly. Megatron pointed a cannon at him. “Get up. We’re going back to the Nemesis.”

Starscream hissed, holding his servos in the air, and guiding Rigel with him.


	91. Hysterics

Orion and Regulus emerged into the hangar and saw Megatron pushing Starscream up the ramp into his shuttle. Before Orion could do anything, the shuttle took off and his Carrier was out of reach.

Regulus cried out. “Carrier!”

A voice, both familiar and unfamiliar, questioned, “Orion? Is that you?”

Orion whirled to face his Creator, emotions running through him at the speed of light.

The matured facemask he had been developing suddenly slammed down over his face and he raised his null ray, firing into the Autobot Leader’s chassis. The stun shot took him right above the spark chamber and he went down, groaning.

He and Regulus sprinted for the Novacutter as Prime’s Autobots began firing. Orion ran through a cold-start and got the Novacutter into space. Pointing it in a random direction, he made the jump to lightspeed. 

As soon as they were safe, he collapsed back into the pilots chair. In less than a decacycle, he had skirted death, been kidnapped, imprisoned, watched his littlest brother be tortured in front of him, been nearly auctioned off, killed three thinking beings, seen his Carrier kidnapped, had his facemask grow in, and to top the cake: He had fired on his Creator.

Regulus gave him a nervous look when he burst out into uncontrollable laughter that made his optics stream coolant.


	92. Wallop

Optimus sat up as the blast wore off and shook his helm free of the fog clouding it. Jazz was kneeling over him. “Prime? You all right?”

Optimus stared at Jazz in incomprehension for a long moment. Then, he spoke. “My son is packing a wallop.”

Jazz chuckled. “Well, he would: He’s yours. Come on, let’s get back to Omega Supreme and plan our next move. Megajerk and his goons got away.”

Optimus climbed to his feet. “Megatron has Starscream.”

“Yes, he does. Along with two of the four Sparklings.”

“At least no one’s hurt.” Optimus groaned. “Except me. Ooooohhhh…”

“Come on, Prime. Let’s get Ratchet to take a look at you.”


	93. Princess Bellatrix

“This will be your room. Tell me if you need anything to decorate it.” Megatron told Bellatrix, showing her the quarters beside his own. “They used to belong to your Carrier.”

“Really?” Bellatrix looked around. “Why isn’t he in them now?”

“He shares quarters with me now, Bella.” Megatron gently explained.

“Where’s Rigel going to be? I don’t mind sharing, I promise. I was doing that when we lived on the Novacutter.”

“The princess of the Decepticon Empire has no need to share a room.” Megatron explained. “Rigel will have his own room elsewhere, but you are going to be very busy for a few decacycles learning how to be princess and catching up on lessons.”

“Oh. Why doesn’t Rigel have these lessons?”

“Your little brother is sick and weak. He will not be bothered with such learning. It is for you alone.”

Bellatrix worried her glossa. “Can I see him sometimes?”

“Perhaps. If you make progress.” Megatron promised, patting her helm. “We are going to be very happy, you and I. And any siblings your Carrier brings into the world.”

“I’m going to have siblings? More, I mean.”

“Of course, my little princess. Now take a bath and relax and I’ll come to see you later. I need to go talk to your Carrier now.”

Bellatrix watched him leave and looked back around the room. So far, her Creator seemed like a very nice mech. Why had they been running from him?

She noticed a jar of energon sweets, chewy ones, not her favorite, and took a handful before heading for the washracks. She could get used to being a princess.


	94. Midnight Considerations

Orion pulled Regulus close to his chassis. The two mechlings were curled up in their Carrier’s large berth and Orion was trying to think of what to do next.

He rolled onto his back and tried to think of what Carrier would do.

Well, Carrier wouldn’t have let half of their family be kidnapped in the first place. He thought miserably.

Carrier had always rescued Orion and his siblings from whatever dangers they had managed to find. It was never Orion rescuing Carrier.

And now Carrier was alone with Orion’s two younger siblings to take care of in the clutches of the mech he feared and hated the most in the galaxy.

Orion remembered Starscream lecturing him that he was never to trust anyone with the Decepticon brand. It had taken him vorns to figure out that the Decepticon brand was the same one Carrier carried on his wings, hidden by layers and layers of paint. As a young Sparkling, he had traced the bumps with his servo and wondered about these marks that Carrier would not speak of.

He sat up in the berth and Regulus grumbled. The mechling had only gone to recharge after Orion had sworn to him that they were going to get Carrier back and everything was going to be all right. He couldn’t let his little brother down.

There was a comm number that his Carrier had told him only to call in the direst emergency.

This qualified.


	95. Megatron's Lost It

Starscream tested the bindings that held him on Megatron’s berth. He didn’t like where he was, nor that his Sparklings were both out of his sight. Megatron had taken Rigel from his servos and handed him to a Seeker, Sunstorm, with the terse instruction “take care of it.” That had chaffed. His precious Sparkling was not a thing.

Bellatrix seemed to have fallen under Megatron’s spell. The promise of treats and toys, a crown and anything she could possibly want were a siren’s song in his avaricious femmeling’s audials. She would do anything to get those treasures, even betray her carrier and Rigel.

Starscream didn’t blame her. There was a time when he would have died for Megatron’s favor, would have torn off his wings if it would make him smile. There was no doubt the mech was charismatic and could be very persuasive when he wanted to be.

Starscream shifted in the bindings again. There he was: Stuck again. He never seemed to be able to leave this whole bloody “war” business behind. All his sacrifices, all the paranoia, the endless time working at spine-breaking labor… all for naught. 

What did his Seekers think of him now? As Airlord he had never been respected. Megatron had seen to that with his constant accusations of cowardice and humiliations. He hadn’t even seen Skywarp, the little slagger.

He shuttered his optics in exhaustion. He couldn’t even summon any vitriol for Skywarp’s treachery after Thundercracker’s death. What kind of mech would want to be trined to him? He was pathetic. All his processing power, good luck, more than his fair share of help from various sources, and he still couldn’t keep his Sparklings safe. He couldn’t even save himself.

The door opened and Megatron’s heavy pedefalls echoed to the berth. “I know you’re awake.”

“I know it too. I wish I was in recharge, so this could all be a bad sparkfear.” Starscream snarked his former leader. 

“Such cruel words from such a lovely Seeker!” Megatron laughed. Starscream shuddered. The mech was clearly insane.

“Why, Megatron? Why pursue me so far for so long?”

Megatron straddled Starscream. “Why? For the same reason that I made you my second. For the same reason I do anything to do with you. You are the most exceptionally perfect mech I have ever met.”

Starscream gave him a tired look. “I am not a mechling any longer. Honeyed words hold no charm on my audials. Least of all your words.”

Megatron dropped his faceplates close to said audials. “I mean every word, Starscream. You are exceptional. You are beyond exceptional. You are perfect in every way. So strong… so beautiful… so brilliant… When I first began considering an heir, you were really the only choice. All of your treasonous plots, all of your snarky comebacks and comments on my abilities… Even when I beat you, you didn’t stop fighting… no one else has the bearings to fight with me. I am surrounded by sycophants and cowards, but you… You refused to bow.” He trailed his glossa up Starscream’s neck cables. “Join me, Starscream. Return and I will reward you beyond your wildest imaginings. Come back, and I will make you my mate and my equal. You will bow to no one.”

Starscream lay unresponsive for a long moment. “There was a time when I would have torn off my wings and smashed my thrusters to hear you say similar, but that time is gone. I am one bot’s mech, and that bot is not you.”

Megatron withdrew slightly. “So, it has to be this way, does it? There can never be peace between us so long as Optimus Prime stands in the way.”

“There never could be peace. Anything you have in mind is a delusion of the spark.” Starscream responded.

“Hmph. I would rather have had you willing, but I will have my new army from you nevertheless.”

Starscream laughed incredulously. “Army, Megatron? Has age finally addled your processor? Even if you began now, it would take me millennia to carry enough mechlings to create an army for you longer for them to grow.”

An expression curled across Megatron’s face that Starscream could only call a smirk. “But I don’t have to wait for you to carry and bear sparklings, Starscream. A little scientist has given me a new technique: A spark extractor and transplanter. You can conceive as many sparklets as your spark can take and your Seekers will carry and raise them to be the finest little soldiers.”

“That’s impossible! You’ve finally gone mad!” Starscream gasped. “A sparklet can’t live outside of the Carrier’s chamber!”

“The technique has been tested on multiple subjects. You’ll see soon enough, when the first one sparks.”

Starscream locked his chest plates. “I’m not going to let you spark me up just to snuff them out!”

“Careful, careful, Starscream. Don’t forget: I have two of your precious Sparklings and one of them is quite expendable.”

Starscream bared his dentas. “Don’t you lay a servo on Rigel!”

“Rigel will be perfectly safe, so long as you cooperate.”

Starscream went limp, recognizing his trap. “Damn you, Megatron. Damn you to the Pit.”

Megatron smirked and moved in on the Seeker.


	96. Challenge and Response

Omega Supreme hung in space, waiting.

“They’re not coming.” Jazz said for the fifteenth time.

“They’ll be here.” Optimus assured him.

“It’s been nearly a cycle. They’re not coming.”

“They’re delayed, but they’re coming.” Optimus responded.

There was a flicker of pseudomotion and the Novacutter hung in the void before them. “See? They came.”

“Moving to lock with the Novacutter.” Bluestreak commented.

Jazz sighed. “Wonder what took so long.”

“I guess we’ll find out soon enough.”

Orion stepped into Omega Supreme clutching Regulus’s hand and Optimus desperately wanted to run to his son and hug him close. Remembering the shot Orion had landed to his chassis, he restrained himself. “Orion.”

“Creator.” Orion regarded him with wariness, Optimus noticed, though he didn’t pull down his battlemask as Optimus believed he would have as a Sparkling. He was bold and had Starscream’s pert lipplates and upturned nasal vent. He would be beating off femmes and mechs with a shockstick at this rate. His optics were so beautiful: The perfect blend of blue and red centering sapphire and hallowed in scarlet. 

The optics betrayed his discomfort and… dislike of the mech before him. It was clear that this was a last resort for Orion, that he would rather be anywhere else.

“Come into the conference room and let’s talk, Orion.” Optimus invited. “You too, Regulus.”

The little tank-former looked up at Optimus with wide eyes and turned to Orion. “How does he know my name?”

“He met you when you were very young.” Orion responded, pulling him along. “Come on. I bet they have energon sweets here.” His optics dared Optimus to prove him wrong.

Optimus decided not to take the challenge. “Of course we do. Might want to start with normal energon, though. I don’t want your Carrier thinking I can’t take care of sparklings properly.”

Orion rolled his optics and followed his Creator to the conference room.


	97. A Shame to Desiree

In the morning, Starscream was taken to the medbay and removed to a special room where a fiendish device had been set up. To his surprise, a human was operating the controls.

“This is Mina Cartwright.”

“I believe you knew my great aunt. She spoke a great deal about you.”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“Oh, apologies. You transfomers have no use for last names. Desiree.”

“You’re related to Desiree?” Starscream studied the human. Now that he was looking for it, she did look a little bit like her.

“Yes, though she rarely had time for me between her clinic and experiments. She was trying to save sparklets in danger of miscarrying when she built the prototype for this. It didn’t work, of course, but she couldn’t be blamed. Her science was sound. I just tweaked a few things in the holding chamber and it worked!”

“You’re a disgrace to Desiree. This is monstrous.”

“You sound like her, but who’s here and who’s dead?”

“You killed her.”

“Maybe I did.”

Starscream gave her a level glare. “I will exterminate you.”

“Brave words.” The syringe dived and plunged into a seam. Starscream was wracked with agony. A moment later, there was a sucking noise like a motor and a bright lavender sparklet appeared in the syringe.

Starscream watched his child as the syringe withdrew. The sparklet was clearly terrified, removed from its Creator’s spark and bouncing around like a mad thing. “You’re sick.”

“I am pragmatic. If you call that sick, it’s your loss not mine.” She removed the holding chamber. “Guard! Get him out of here and bring Sunstorm in!”

Starscream cast the other Seeker a look of pity as he went into the chamber. How willing were his Seekers to carry sparklets not sprung from their own? Their situation must have been desperate.


	98. Orion Needed That

Orion and Optimus faced each other down over a table while Regulus happily fueled at the end. Optimus had the feeling that this near-doppelganger was judging him for almost fifty vorns worth of dissapointments and loss and finding him guiltier by the klick.

“Why did you shoot me?” He threw the question into the charged atmosphere to break the tension.

“Dunno. Wasn’t really thinking.” Orion responded. 

The silence closed in again.

“I guess I can understand if you’re angry at me. I haven’t been the Creator I should have been, but if you would just give me a chance-“

“You had your chance.” Orion cut him off. “That day under the monorail. You had your chance. And you left us. Carrier made it clear what he wanted and you promised something you couldn’t give. You had your chance and blew it. I don’t want a Creator. I don’t need one. Carrier and us do just fine on our own.”

Silence fell like a curtain and Optimus didn’t even try to break it. His Sparkling’s eyes blazed with the kind of pain and hatred that only formed over decades of wondering and watching for something that was never going to come.

Orion broke it this time. “All I want from you is to help me get my Carrier and siblings back. Then, I don’t care if I never see you again.”

Optimus’s spark was shattered. “I understand. For what it’s worth: I’m sorry.”

“It’s not worth much.” Orion bit out. “Are you going to help me get him back?”

“Of course.” Optimus promised. “I will make sure that you and your Carrier are reunited as soon as possible.”

“Good.”

Silence fell once more.

Optimus broke their staring match to look at the viewport. “Orion, that night: I chose wrong. I know that. I’ve had decavorns to regret it. But I didn’t make the decision I did for lack of loving you and your Carrier. I had to protect my men. I hope you can understand that.”

Orion bit out a chuckle. “Is this supposed to be a joke? I was there, Creator. I saw everything. I saw you break my Carrier’s spark. I watched it shatter. And over twenty-nine vorns, I picked up the pieces and put them back together.” He hissed out a ventilation. “Do you have any idea what it’s like to hear your Carrier crying himself to recharge every nightcycle? To look back on one moment in time and be able to pinpoint it and say: This is the moment. This is the exact moment that my life was ruined. To know without a doubt that your own Creator would place something else above you?”

Regulus had gone quiet and still at the end of the table. Then, without a word, he left the room. Optimus, who could predict where this was going, thought it a good thing.

Optimus listened in silence. “No, I don’t.”

“Thought not. You had a happy childhood: Both parents in a good bond. Hard working, but never wonting for fuel or shelter. Carrier worked hard every day of his life and did humiliating, demeaning things to get by and scrape us both up enough to live through cycle after cycle. And whenever things were going good, one of you would show up.” He stabbed an accusatory servo at the red emblem on Optimus’s chassis. “Red or purple didn’t make a difference. Either meant the end of everything he had worked to build. Right up until he snuck onto a pirate vessel and commandeered it.”

“The Starcutter.” Optimus vented.

“The Starcutter.” Orion confirmed. “He ran cargoes and did dockwork when he didn’t have one. We still had to scrape and pinch, save whatever we could. My only real toys were taken from a pirate vessel that attacked us when I was about ten vorns old. When I was old enough to start learning, our shanix were running dry and there hadn’t been honest work for decacycles.” Coolant started leaking out of his optics. “I was too young to understand, but I still remember. He cried himself to recharge after that night as well, after scrubbing his paint off in patches. I’d rather die than see that again. I almost wish none of them existed because it would mean that night never happened.” He squeezed the table until there were indentations in the metal. His expression suggested that he wanted to place those servos around a mech’s neckcables.

The coolant trickles became streams. “I was so happy. When we were on Earth and afterwards, going to fun places. Staying for more than a few hours at a time. Writing notebooks to Desiree and sending her tiny souvenirs. Playing on jungle gyms and in snow. Trekking through jungles. Space Mountain… Primus, Space Mountain. I think the only thing better than that would be flying in a thunderstorm. Primus, I want to fly in a thunderstorm. Not just a little one either, but something massive with enough charge in the clouds to melt a mech’s cockpit. I never got the chance. I’ve never even flown in the rain: How pathetic is that? I’m the greatest flyer in Vos’s Sparkling: I’m Airlord Vos’s Sparkling, and I’ve never flown in the rain.” His vents hitched. “I’ve never flown in the rain. I’ve never flown in a trine. I’ll probably never fly in a trine…”

Optimus stood up and tried to hug his Sparkling only to find a servo planted on his windshield. “Don’t touch me. I never want you to touch me again.”

Optimus sat back down, stricken to the spark.

“Don’t you get it?” Orion stared at him with wild optics. “I’ve never gotten to do anything that other Sparklings do. I probably never will, either. And it’s all your stupid war’s fault. Worse: when the chips were down and my Carrier offered you a straightforward choice: Walk away from it all. Live with us and be a real Creator, you chose the war. You put this stupid little slap-fight you and that slag-head Megatron are so devoted to over all of us. Don’t you understand? You ruined everything we could have had. We could have been a family. We could have had it all, but you had to go beat up the bad guy and save the galaxy. Well, news flash: The galaxy doesn’t need saving. Most of it doesn’t want saving. For every soldier in your armies, there are nine mechs out there who don’t care who wins or loses because they’re too busy taking care of their families. They’re being Creators. Parents. Carriers. Grand-mechs.” The streams became rivers. “But for those few, this scuffle is everything. It matters more than family or blood, love or Sparklings. And you’re just another one of them.” He heaved broken ventilations, coolant streaming down his windshield. 

For once in his life, Optimus was completely helpless to soothe the pains another creature was suffering. How could he repair what he had broken?


	99. Three Decacycles Later

It had been at least three decacycles.

Starscream was sure of it. Three. Or three and a half.

His paint was scratched and scuffed. His gestation tank was bloated with nanites. His chemical balance was dangerously out of balance and his frame didn’t know to prepare for a Sparkling or not.

In short, he looked and felt slagged.

But not as slagged as he should have been.

He had conceived at least eighteen sparklets… no, nineteen. There had been nineteen. And number twenty was in his spark chamber now. He was going to be allowed to keep this one and gestate it normally. As if that was a treat in his condition. 

That meant his spark had divided its energy twenty times in the past thirty five cycles at most.

He should have snuffed after sparklet five. He had stopped naming them and was trying not to think of them as his.

But here he was: Alive. Or perhaps in some really twisted corner of the Pit.

Either way, he was confused. 

Megatron entered the room and stood over Starscream. The Seeker could still move his arms and legs. He had been well fueled in his time here, been allowed to fuel near-constantly in fact, but he pretended to be so close to helpless to lure his captors into a false sense of security. “Are you still alive?”

“I… want… Skywarp.” Starscream groaned. The teleporter might be an unreliable ally at best, but he was all Starscream had at the moment.

“And you’ll have Skywarp soon enough. He’s working right now. He’s my Air Commander now.”

Starscream thought that a nearly laughable choice. He had been trined to Skywarp because of his teleportation ability, but the mech was mostly an incompetent otherwise. “Skywarp…” He groaned, holding his spark chamber, feigning pain.

“You’ll see Skywarp. He’ll be here in a breem or two.”

Starscream shuttered his optics and pretended to go to recharge.

Skywarp arrived in one and a half breems. They were given privacy.

Skywarp walked up to his berthside. “You look like slag, Screamer.”

Starscream flashed his optics at his former trine-mate. “Don’t test me, Skywarp. Even in this condition, I could offline you in less than a klick.”

Skywarp took in the damages. “What happened to you?”

“I have been repeatedly raped, had my sparklets removed, and am currently carrying one. What do you think happened, Skywarp?”

Skywarp slumped and sat down on the berth. “Megatron swore you were willing.”

“Megatron is a liar.”

“Clearly. What can I do?”

“You are going to listen VERY carefully. Then, you are going to do exactly as I say.”


	100. Setting Up for the Final Battle

Optimus received a communication from Skywarp aboard the Nemisis. The Air Commander and the Seekers were not only defecting, but offering up the Nemisis on a plate.

Orion wanted to accompany them, but Optimus wouldn’t allow it. The poor Sparkling was damaged enough by their senseless war and the battle ahead promised to be a bloodbath.

Skywarp and his current trine met the Autobots at a rendezvous on their patrol pattern. Rigel was with them.

Optimus stared down at the small Sparkling. After the mature Bellatrix and Regulus’s bulk, he had expected something larger.

Rigel stared right back. Then, he lifted his servos to be picked up.

Optimus obliged, examining the Sparkling as he cuddled him close. “Hello, Rigel. Do you remember me?”

Rigel nodded. “I’m not yours, but I’m still perfect, right?”

“That’s right. You have such a good memory.”

Rigel smiled blissfully. “Are you going to get Carrier back and be a family now? Are we going to go home?”

“I hope so, Rigel.”

The battle was a bloodbath. The Seekers snuck Optimus and a few front-liners into the Nemesis, evacuating those whose carryings had made it past the spark stage and were in delicate condition.

Soundwave and his clever little cassettes were the first to fall. Sunstreaker and Sideswipe dealt with them with brutal efficiency.

Optimus had his optics on a much larger prize.


	101. Plugging Plotholes

Starscream grabbed Mina’s arm and tugged on it. “Tell me exactly what happened to Desiree.”

“Isn’t it obvious? I poisoned her, her heart began to give, and she finished herself off working.”

“Then you built this monstrosity.”

“I only perfected it. She built it.”

“She intended good and you twisted her creation.”

“I found an alternate use.”

“You know, I’ve always wondered something about you humans.”

“What’s that?”

“What happens when you squeeze.” Starscream tightened his servo.


	102. Coldplay

Starscream was on his pedes. He didn’t know how or why, but he was on them. Better yet, his null rays were charged and ready for action.

Now if only this damnable processor ache would go away and someone would help him aim…

He felt drunk and high. Mostly high. He hadn’t taken anything, had he? Maybe that stupid extractor was laced with something. He wouldn’t put it past Mina.

He staggered along the corridors of the Nemisis towards the sound of explosions and screaming. There were vehicons running around him. He had to look absolutely awful because no one was messing with him. Either that or terrifying.

Megatron and Optimus were at it again, tossing one-liners and blows like it was a game. Starscream pensively watched for a long moment. Then, he raised his vocalizer. “Hey, Megamoron!”

Megatron turned and his face twisted in horror. Definitely terrifying.

“Chew null ray, slag-head.” Starscream lifted one arm and fired on the one-time tyrant. He stopped firing when Megatron looked like a piece of Swiss Cheese.

And then he was falling… And Optimus caught him. “Optimus. Hi.”

“Starscream. Are you… Are you…?”

“If I survived this long, I’m not dying now. Pick me up and take me to your medic, what’s his face… Hatchet.”

Optimus smiled. “He hates that nickname.”

“Whatever.” Starscream fell back in his arms. “Just get me to him.”

And then he was flying… Wheeee…

"Optimus?"

"Yes, Starscream."

"I was wrong."

"About?"

"The war. I couldn't run from it. I made everyone miserable trying. I was just... stupid. I was stupid."

"You weren't stupid, Starscream. We were, for starting this whole mess. I'm sorry for what's happened to you, our sparklings, and myself because of it."

"You didn't do anything wrong. I'm sorry... I shouldn't have run so fast..."

"Hmm?"

"I should have waited for you... that night at the monorail."

"I shouldn't have looked back."

They were silent. His optics were damaged and blurring. "Optimus?"

"Yes?"

"Am I dying?"

"I don't know."


	103. Yes, This is Deliberately Open-Ended. There May or May Not Be a Sequel Coming Soon. Maybe!

Starscream woke surrounded by all the mechs he loved. “Optimus…?”

“Yes.” One of the red and blue blurs said.

“Orion…?”

“Carrier, you’re going to be okay.”

“Bellatrix…?”

“Carrier, I’m so sorry. Creator kept saying you were sick and I couldn’t see you and he was so nice that I didn’t even think…”

“Bella… Shhh…”

“Yes, Carrier.”

“Regulus?”

“Carrier! You’re gonna be okay!”

“Rigel?”

“We’re going to be a family now, right, Carrier?”

“Yes, Rigel.” Starscream shuttered his optics. “We are.”


End file.
